Have you ever heard of an agave plant that matures over 30 years, blooms once, and then dies?
Agave plants are a captivating and varied group of succulents. They have drawn the interest of gardeners, plant enthusiasts, and even bartenders for their distinctive qualities and uses.
These plants come in various sizes, shapes, and colors, ranging from the imposing and majestic Agave Americana to the delicate and small Agave victoriae-reginae. Some agaves are grown for fiber, while others are grown for decorative purposes or as a natural sweetener source.
So, whether you’re a big admirer of plants, a tequila connoisseur, or just interested in the wonders of nature, the types of agave plants are fascinating to discover. Let’s look more closely!
Incredible Agaves
Of all the succulents, agave plants are some of the most incredible. They may not flower for decades. When they do, they can produce an enormous flower spike that grows to 20, even 30 feet tall. Like other succulents, agaves are drought-tolerant. The most famous agave is probably the one that gives us tequila.
Different Types of Agave Plants With Pictures
We’ve based our height and spread estimates on agaves grown in the ground. You may see less growth if you are planting in a container or growing your agaves indoors as houseplants.
To help you choose the ones that suit your backyard best we’ve featured 19 different types of agave plants below. Which are your favorites?
1. Agave Parryi
| Common name | Parry’s agave, artichoke agave |
| Height and spread | 2ft high x 3ft wide with a 15ft flower spike |
This agave is first on the list because it’s one of our favorites. You can see how it got its artichoke name in the picture above.
This agave looks wonderful grouped with other succulents in a dry stony garden. Black spear-like spines grow at the ends of broad, blue-grey leaves. The flower spike is huge but may not appear for 10 or 15 years, as with many agaves.
2. Agave Attenuata
| Common name | Foxtail agave, dragon tree |
| Height and spread | 5ft high x 8ft wide with arching 10ft flower spike |
The foxtail agave doesn’t have spines, so it’s a good one to choose if you have a small space and might end up brushing against your agave plants all the time.
Those needle-sharp spines can hurt! As a young plant, it makes an excellent choice for an indoors or patio container. The flower spike has green-yellow florets.
3. Agave Filifera
| Common name | Thread agave |
| Height and spread | 2ft high x 3ft wide with 8ft flower spike |
One of the striking agave plant types with unusual creamy-white threads adorning the leaves. The leaves themselves are bright green, edged with white.
It may take 10 years to flower with green-white florets. Sometimes you will get new plants when the original rosette dies after flowering.
4. Agave ‘Blue Glow’
| Common name | Blue glow agave |
| Height and spread | 2ft high x 3ft wide |
A cross between Agave attenuata and Agave ocahui, this attractive blue-grey succulent has finely-toothed leaves edged with yellow and red.
It makes an impressive statement in any rock garden if you plant as a group. It will die back after flowering, but it will take 10 years to get to that stage.
5. Victoriae-Reginae
| Common name | Royal agave, Queen Victoria agave |
| Height and spread | 12-18 inches high x 2ft wide, 15ft flower spike |
A compact agave makes a great feature in containers. This may be a small type of agave plant but it will live for 30 years, and it can produce a tall flower spike of cream or purple florets. The leaves are tipped with black.
6. Agave Stricta
| Common name | Hedgehog agave |
| Height and spread | 2ft high x 2ft wide, 6ft flower spike |
A profusion of narrow, dark green leaves tipped with spines make this agave quite hedgehog or porcupine-like.
The leaves can get to about a foot in length. Small red flowers appear on a spike around 6 feet tall if your agave has the right conditions to flower.
7. Agave Tequilana
| Common name | Blue agave, Weber’s blue agave, tequila agave, agave azul |
| Height and spread | 5ft high x 5ft wide, 16ft flower spike |
The one that tequila is made from. This plant needs lots of space, so you’ll need a big backyard. It makes a fantastic feature in a desert garden. The blue agave also grows very well at high altitudes, around 5,000 feet. It will live for decades.
8. Agave Desmettiana
| Common name | Smooth agave |
| Height and spread | 3ft high x 5ft wide, 10ft flower spike |
This agave plant is really good in gardens because it’s a smooth-leaved variety. You won’t get speared by any sharp spines. It will grow very well in pots on patios and it is ideal for desert or rock gardens. There is also a variegated version.
9. Agave Americana, Agave Mediopicta, Agave Americana Marginata
| Common name | Century plant, Maguey |
| Height and spread | 6ft high x 10ft wide, flower stalk can reach 30ft in the wild |
This agave plant can grow very large. It will look stunning as a feature plant in a container. Agave mediopicta and Agave americana marginata are both attractive variegated versions of the original century plant.
10. Agave Macroacantha
| Common name: | Large-thorned agave, black-spined agave |
| Height and spread | 2ft high x 2ft wide, 6ft flower spike |
With one inch black spines at the leaf tips, this blue-grey colored agave has a distinctive look. A medium-sized plant, it may flower after 15 years or so. It has purple-green flowers on a relatively short spike in the agave world, at just 6 feet.
11. Agave Geminiflora
| Common name | Twin-flowered agave, twin flower agave, pincushion agave |
| Height and spread | 2ft high x 3ft wide, 10ft flower spike |
Hundreds of densely-packed narrow leaves form the compact rosette of the twin-flowered agave. It has creamy-white filaments like some others listed here, and an impressive round shape.
12. Agave Parviflora
| Common name | Small flower agave, small flower century plant |
| Height and spread | 8 inches high x 8 inches wide |
This may be the smallest type of agave plant we’ve featured here but Agave parviflora can still produce a flower spike of 3-7 feet in the right conditions. This cute agave is just perfect as a container plant. It has creamy yellow flowers which bees love.
13. Agave Angustifolia
| Common name | Caribbean agave |
| Height and spread | 4ft high x 4ft wide, 16ft flower spike |
This one has very sharp spines on the leaf tips, so be warned. A vivid variegated plant, the green leaves have yellow margins. It’s attractive to pollinators when it flowers. Agave angustifolia will produce new plants by sending out suckers.
14. Agave Vilmoriniana
| Common name | Octopus agave |
| Height and spread | 4ft high x 6ft wide, up to 20ft flower spike |
With its unusual swirly shape, the leaves of this agave plant look very like octopus legs.
You won’t mind getting close to it because its leaves are soft and people-friendly. A good choice to have beside a path, as it won’t matter if you brush against this agave.
15. Agave Potatorum
| Common name | Verschaffelt agave, butterfly agave, toper’s agave |
| Height and spread | 2ft high x 2ft tall, flower spike up to 15ft |
The leaves are said to resemble a butterfly’s wings. This is a slow-growing type of agave plant that might take ten years to reach full size. Being medium-sized it’s a good choice for a container. Once the butterfly agave flowers, it won’t produce any more plants.
16. Agave Lophantha, Agave Univittata
| Common name | Thorncrest century plant |
| Height and spread | 3ft high x 2ft tall, flower spike up to 12ft |
A smart-looking plant with shades of dark and mid-green, this agave will tolerate temperatures down to -10֯ C. There is a very pretty variegated version with mid-green, dark green, yellow and reddish stripes called Agave lophantha quadricolour.
17. Agave Montana
| Common name | Mountain agave |
| Height and spread | 5ft high x 5ft wide, flower spike at least 10ft |
With an impressive rosette of deep green leaves, the mountain agave is happy in colder climates. It grows in the pine-oak forests of Mexico’s Sierra Madre Orientale at an altitude of 6,000-10,000 feet. It will survive -10 ֯C. When it flowers, be prepared for an incredible 10-foot tree-like stem to emerge.
18. Agave Bracteosa
| Common name | Squid agave, spider agave |
| Height and spread | 2ft high x 2ft wide but can get bigger, with 5ft flower spike |
A perfect addition to a desert or rock garden, the spider agave is a slow-growing drought-tolerant plant which works very well in containers. Unlike some other types of agave plant, it will send out suckers to produce new plants once the original rosette starts to die.
19. Agave Parrasana
| Common name | Cabbage head agave, cabbage head century plant |
| Height and spread | 2ft high x 2ft wide, 20ft flower spike |
A slow-growing compact succulent in an attractive blue-green colour. It will flower but it may take ten years – the flower buds are red, opening to yellow. This is another agave that sends out suckers to create new rosettes, rather than dying off completely. Very sharp spines, so not one to plant near a path.
20. Agave Asperrima
| Common name | Rough Century Plant |
| Height and Spread | 3ft high x 3ft wide |
Agave asperrima produces rough, thick, blue-gray leaves. The plant has a vase-like shape due to the leaves’ pointy teeth along the corners and slight curvature towards the base. When the plant is fully grown, a tall flower stem carrying yellow-green flowers that entice pollinators. Agave asperrima is a native of Mexico and the southwest USA.
It thrives in hot and dry climates. The plant’s leaves are used to treat wounds and skin infections, and the sap is thought to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
21. Agave Albopilosa
| Common name | White Hair Agave |
| Height and Spread | 3ft high x 3ft wide |
Agave albopilosa is a small species that produces either solitary or grouped balls of narrow leaves. Its most distinguishing characteristic is a complete ring of white fibers resembling hairs below the terminal spine. The end of each leaf appears to have cotton balls due to this character trait.
The thorny area surrounding the terminal spine resembles the tip of a triangular wooden pencil, although the new leaves have no hair. The snow-white fibers are disclosed when the space opens like a mesemb capsule.
22. Agave Applanata
| Common name | Gray Agave |
| Height and Spread | 2ft high x 2ft wide |
Agave applanata produces a rosette of bluish-green, soft, flat, and lance-shaped leaves. The symmetrically arranged, inward-curving leaves give the plant a rounded appearance. Small, pointed teeth and a slight curve on the leaf’s edge help collect water.
Agave applanata is a native of Mexico and thrives in hot, dry climates. The plant develops a tall flower stalk as it matures. These are covered in yellow-green flowers that attract hummingbirds, bees, and other pollinators. It is frequently grown as a decorating plant in gardens and has medicinal uses in conventional medicine.
23. Agave Avellanidens
| Height and Spread | 3ft high x 4ft wide |
The Agave avellanidens is a fabulous plant with spiky and deep green leaves with reddish-brown edges. The plant native to East-central Baja California succulent is a beautiful addition to any garden or container. The Agave avellanidens thrive in well-draining soil and can withstand drought. It makes them the perfect plant for dry environments.
Additionally, this plant has been used as medicine by indigenous groups because it is thought to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties.
24. Agave Blue Ember
| Common name | Blue Ember |
| Height and Spread | 2ft high x 3ft wide |
The Agave Blue Ember is a stunning and eye-catching plant. The beautiful gray-blue leaves with reddish-pink edges are what make this cultivar special. Its color scheme distinguishes it from other succulents and lends a touch of sophistication to any garden or landscape.
This cultivar grows well with other succulents and cacti and is excellent for landscaping. It tolerates drought well and prefers full sun and well-draining soil. That makes it a perfect option for people looking for low-maintenance plants because it can thrive in deserts and doesn’t need frequent watering.
25. Agave Boldinghiana
| Common name | Papiamentu |
| Height and Spread | 3ft high x 5ft wide |
Agave boldinghiana is only found on the Leeward Caribbean and Islands of Bonaire. The plant bears the name of Dutch botanist Isaak Boldingh. It is a beautiful plant with narrow, pointed, backward-lanceolate, and cone leaves that grow in rosettes. These thorns are dark red and have green leaves with a light blue bloom.
The Agave boldinghiana blooms in the center of the rosette on peduncles that spring up from the sinuses of the leaves. After the plant has concluded flowering, which takes about eight months, onions start to grow on the peduncle. These onions already contain tiny plants that eventually fall to the ground and create a new plantation.
26. Agave Bovicornuta
| Common name | cow horn agave |
| Height and Spread | 3-5ft high x 4-6ft wide |
The Sonora, Chihuahua, and Sinaloa Mexican states are home to the agave bovicornuta species, indigenous to the northern Sierra Madre Occidental. Agave bovicornuta is a plant that grows north of Sierra Madre Occidental in the Mexican state of Sonora. It rises between 3,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level in rocky areas.
The plant leaves are very ornamental, with peaks and valleys along the edges decorated with reddish-brown teeth of various sizes. Some of these have tips that are flexed in multiple directions. The plant’s Latin name refers to how the teeth resemble cattle horns.
The leaves of the plant are typically deep yellowish and green. They frequently exhibit bud-printing. It is the term for the embossed impressions that adjacent leaves make on the surface of their leaves as they grow at the center of the plant.
27. Agave Chazaroi
| Common name | American aloe plant |
| Height and Spread | 4ft high x 5ft wide |
The agave chazaroi is attractive with broad, rigid, deep-green to bluish-grey leaves. It is unarmed reddish-brownish rims. Upon reaching maturity, the plant sends up a tall, unbranched spike of flowers.
The plant’s young leaves are wavy and are broadest in the middle. As the plant ages, the leaves almost lose their spines, leaving only a few tiny teeth-like spines near the leaf base.
This adaptable plant species can be combined with tropical or succulent plants. Despite the plant’s high level of drought tolerance, rich, well-drained soil and partial sun exposures help it grow. It can be grown indoors in a container or outdoors in a warm, protected area.
28. Agave Chiapensis
| Common name | Chiapas agave |
| Height and Spread | 2ft high x 3ft wide |
The medium-sized Agave chiapensis has broad, thick, smooth, and bright green leaves. The shape of the leaves varies, but they are typically ovate with a narrow base and rounded below. The plant is symmetrical in appearance. The flower stem is spicate and can reach a length of two meters.
Agave chiapensis is a species that boom quickly and withstand occasional light freezes and drier conditions. It needs well-drained, sandy, or severe soil and thrives in either full sun or a lightly shaded area.
29. Agave Colorata
| Common name | Mescal Ceniza |
| Height and Spread | 3ft high x 3ft wide |
Agave colorata is a unique plant that grows on hillside slopes of volcanic mountain ranges in the coastline region of Sinaloan thorn scrub. It has blue-gray leaves with magnificent imprints and succulent rosettes with spiky stalks on the leaf blade. In spring, Redbuds on a 3m tall stem open to orange and yellow flowers in a panicle. It requires well-drained soil and grows best in partial to light shade. Watering should be given sparingly in the winter and liberally in the summer.
30. Agave Creme Brulee
| Common name | Creme Brulee Century Plant |
| Height and Spread | 2ft high x 2ft wide |
The silvery-blue leaves of the unique and rapidly growing Agave Creme Brulee give it a distinct look. Due to its sculpted shape, it is a favorite among collectors. While plants in their natural habitat are generally solitary, cultivated clones frequently give birth to numerous suckers. Growing this agave in a shady area is best to avoid leaf burn. It also needs to be watered often but not to the point of saturation. It should be guarded against freezing because it is vulnerable to cold temperatures. Its offsets are used for propagation and abundantly produced during cultivation.
Grow Agave Plants in Containers
Agave plants are great in pots because they are usually slow-growing, and they won’t want to burst out of their containers quickly. We talk about rosettes a lot below — if you look at an agave plant from above you’ll see how the leaves form in a circular, rosette shape. This circular form makes the perfect shape for a container plant.
Want more ideas for drought-tolerant gardens? Check these out: