A clumping agave with narrow, stiff leaves. The variegated form most used in Phoenix has creamy white edges that brighten a bed from across the yard, and it pups freely to build a full, formal-looking clump over time.
Living with it in the Phoenix Valley
Watering
Follow the shrub, groundcover and succulent schedule in our Landscape Care guide. It wants only occasional water in summer and sandy, well-drained soil. Extra water speeds growth but also speeds pupping.
Pruning
Little is needed. Remove spent rosettes after they flower and thin pups to keep the clump in bounds. Heavy gloves, long sleeves and eye protection are a must.
Cold
Leaves can be damaged below about 25°F. Cover it on nights forecast colder than that.
Pests
Agave snout weevil is the main threat to agaves in Phoenix landscapes.
How our designers use it
Brightening part shade
The cream-edged leaves lift a spot under a light canopy or along an east wall, where darker plants can read as flat.
Groups and drifts
Planted in odd-numbered groups, the clumps knit into a bold, structured mass that holds its look year-round.
Containers
It handles a large pot well, and the container keeps both the pups and the sharp tips contained.
Good to know
Around the pool
The leaf tips are dangerously sharp. Keep it well back from pool edges, walkways and play areas.
Pups and flowering
Pups appear around the base; pull them while small if you want a single, tidy rosette. Each rosette dies after it blooms, and the pups replace it.
