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Desert Agave
Agave deserti
  
About Desert Agave (Agave deserti) 20 Nurseries Carry This Plant Native to the desert regions of Southern California, Arizona, and Baja California, Desert Agave (Agave deserti) is an iconic plant of the Southwestern landscape. Its low water needs also make it an ideal plant for the waterwise garden.

Desert Agave grows in clusters. The individual plants are rosette-shaped, with long gray-green leaves that have sharp spines at the tips and along the edges. For safety, it is best to plant it away from walkways and other high-traffic areas. Desert Agave is a slow-growing plant. At full maturity, it will send up very tall spikes of yellow flowers. The blooms attract hummingbirds and insects. Individual plants die after blooming, but other plants in the cluster will continue to grow.

Plant Desert Agave in dry, rocky, well-draining soil. It is highly drought adapted, with minimal water needs. It is both heat and cold tolerant, although some species can be sensitive to frost.
Miller, G.O. (2008). Landscaping with Native Plants of Southern California. Voyageur Press,
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub, Succulent

Size
Size
1 - 19.7 ft tall
3 ft wide

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Slow

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Flower Color
Flower Color
Yellow

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
When in bloom, hummingbirds and other nectar-loving birds are attracted to the masses of flowers. This species is also host plant to the Bauer's Giant Skipper and California Giant Skipper butterflies.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed , 1 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low, Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Typically decomposed granite. Tolerates Sodic Soil. Soil PH: 7.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

Maintenance
Maintenance
Agaves are sometimes infested by a moth whose larva can kill the plant. However, Agave deserti is less often affected than other species such as Agave americana.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment. Pups can be removed from the base of the mother plant (with caution) and relocated.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
3, 7, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11, 12*, 13, 14*, 15, 16, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22, 23

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Rocky slopes, canyons, desert washes

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 2.6" - 25.6", Summer Precipitation: 0.33" - 2.88", Coldest Month: 39.5" - 59.0", Hottest Month: 65.5" - 88.0", Humidity: 1.91" - 38.83", Elevation: -42" - 6407"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Maguey De Desierto


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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