A smaller, slower form of century plant with a bold creamy white stripe down the center of each blue-gray leaf. It brings bright color to a low-water garden and stays a more manageable size than the full species. It makes fewer pups too, which keeps it tidy.
Living with it in the Phoenix Valley
Watering
Follow the shrub, groundcover and succulent schedule in our Landscape Care guide. It needs only occasional water once established, with a little more in long, hot dry spells. Good drainage matters more than extra water.
Pruning
Remove dead lower leaves with heavy gloves. It makes fewer pups than other century plants, so there is less to pull.
Flowering
After many years it sends up a tall stalk of yellow-green flowers that hummingbirds visit, then the rosette dies.
How our designers use it
A bright accent
The cream stripe stands out against dark rock, stucco and gray-green plants, and catches low evening light.
Containers and raised beds
Its slower growth and smaller size make it a good large-pot agave for patios and courtyards.
Hillsides and cactus gardens
It works on slopes and among barrels and aloes, where it can be seen but not brushed against.
Good to know
Around the pool
It has sharp edge teeth and a long terminal spine, and a puncture is painful. Keep it well back from pool decks, paths and play areas.
Sap
Like many agaves, its sap can irritate skin. Wear gloves and long sleeves when cutting leaves.
