Agave palmeri
Palmer's agave
Southwestern United States and northern Mexico
Attracts PollinatorsAttracts HummingbirdsDeer ResistantDrought TolerantContainer Friendly
Native to North America
Overview
Agave palmeri is a large, solitary, evergreen succulent that forms a single rosette 2-4 feet (60-120 cm) tall and 3-5 feet (0.9-1.5 m) wide of stiff, fleshy leaves. The blue-green to gray-green leaves are lance-shaped, 1.5-3 feet (45-90 cm) long, channeled above, edged with curved brown teeth, and tipped with a sharp terminal spine 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long. The rosette grows slowly for 20-35 years, storing starch, then sends up a single flower stalk 10-20 feet (3-6 m) tall bearing horizontal branches of pale yellow to greenish flowers tinged red in bud. After this one bloom the rosette dies, a monocarpic life cycle, though seed and occasional offsets carry on. The flowers open at night and produce heavy nectar that draws nectar-feeding bats, along with bees and hummingbirds by day. It withstands heat, drought, and light frost but rots in wet, poorly drained soil.
Native Range
Native to the southwestern United States, in southern Arizona and New Mexico, and south into Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico. Grows on rocky slopes, grasslands, and oak and pinyon-juniper woodland at 3,000-6,000 feet (900-1,800 m).Suggested Uses
Planted as a specimen in desert, rock, and xeric gardens and on dry slopes, set well back from walks at 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8 m) spacing. The night flowers feed migrating nectar bats, and the day flowers draw bees and hummingbirds. Its sharp teeth and terminal spines make it less suited to areas with foot traffic, children, or pets.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height2' - 4'
Width/Spread3' - 5'
Reaches mature size in approximately 25 years
Colors
Bloom Information
Flowers once in the plant's life, usually after 20-35 years, with the stalk rising in late spring and flowers opening June through August. The bloom lasts several weeks as flowers open up the stalk. Flowers open at night, when nectar-feeding bats visit, and the rosette dies after seed sets.
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
pale yellow to greenishFoliage Description
blue-greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grows in full sun on sharp-draining rocky or sandy soil and tolerates intense heat, drought, and brief frost to about 10F (-12C). Once established it needs no irrigation, and wet or heavy soil causes fatal crown and root rot. It produces few or no offsets, so it is grown mainly from seed and is slow to reach size. The agave snout weevil can kill plants by boring into the crown, often as bloom nears. The sharp leaf teeth and spine-tipped leaves are a hazard along paths. After flowering the spent rosette is removed, since the plant does not regrow.Pruning
Remove dead lower leaves at the base to keep the rosette clean. Cut down the tall flower stalk and the spent rosette after bloom and seed set, since the plant dies once it has flowered. The terminal spine tips can be trimmed where the plant is near walkways.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 10 gallons