Agave Encyclopedia

An agave from New Mexico to west Texas with excellent cold hardiness. Also called 'New Mexico Agave', it grows at high elevations. Compact and neat rosette form is beautiful.

A clonal selection of the whale's tongue agave with folded undersides, wavy scalloped edges and small teeth on broad silver-blue leaves. Fast-growing and tolerant of cold, damp winters.

A medium-sized agave from southern Arizona to northwestern Mexico. Beautiful gray-green rosette. An important nectar source for bats. Produces many flowers on a tall, straight flower stalk.

The variegated form of Kissho Kan: short blue-grey leaves edged pale yellow to creamy white, with spines that emerge reddish and age to brown. A small, dome-shaped agave long grown in Japan.

Native to northern Mexico. Slender leaves form sharp rosettes. Gray-green leaves with small spines. Excellent cold hardiness and relatively easy cultivation.

A cultivar of Agave pygmaea, a small agave native to Chiapas in southern Mexico. Wavy margins and distinctive blue-green leaves resembling 'dragon toes' give it its name. Very compact and suitable for indoor cultivation. A popular garden cultivar.

Native to Texas and northern Mexico. Named for its rough leaf surface. Thick blue-gray leaves with black teeth. Similar to Americana but more compact.

Beautiful agave producing numerous white filaments along leaf margins. Similar to Filifera but with harder leaves and more prominent teeth. Cold-hardy enough for ground planting.

One of the world's largest natural fiber crops. Strong 'sisal' fibers from its leaves are widely used for rope, sacks, and carpets. From Mexico, now cultivated widely in Africa and Southeast Asia.

An agave from central Mexico with dense, narrow needle-like leaves. Unique form distinct from typical agaves. Produces many offsets and forms clumps.

Unique agave with needle-thin leaves spreading in a sphere. Sea urchin-like appearance is distinctive. Cold-hardy.

The world-famous agave used to produce tequila. Called 'Blue Agave' for its blue-gray-green leaves. Grown extensively in Jalisco, Mexico. Also popular as an ornamental plant.

Titanota with long, pale blue-white leaves and small, numerous teeth. The trade name refers to the original Rancho-type titanota rather than the popular Sierra type (oteroi), and is mostly sold as seedlings or seed.

A titanota cultivar that turns reddish all over in strong sun, making its rugged, wavy teeth stand out. Known in Japan as 'Akaneko' (red cat); it reverts to green in weak light.

A Mexican agave with distinctively compact rosette of short, thick leaves. Dense, wide leaves create an impressive sculptural form. Drought tolerant and beginner-friendly.

An agave native to California-Mexico deserts, tolerant of both heat and cold.

A palm-sized dwarf agave. Also called Dragon Toes, charming for its cute size.

A variegated cultivar of Agave parrasana, distinguished by short, broad blue-grey leaves edged with a thin yellow to cream margin. Medium-sized with easy maintenance requirements. Popular as an accent plant in mixed succulent arrangements and landscapes.

An agave from West Texas mountains with top-class cold tolerance. Survives -20°C.