Agave Encyclopedia

A rare agave with white cotton-like fibers at leaf tips. A relatively new species described in 2007.

Most widely known agave. Grows huge, often seen in parks and gardens. Also called Century Plant. Variegated forms popular.

Widely distributed from Mexico to Central America. Narrow leaves with many variegated cultivars available. Believed to be ancestral to Agave tequilana. Hardy and fast-growing.

A beautiful agave with blue-white wide leaves spreading flat. Cream Spike cultivar is famous.

Thornless agave with soft gracefully spreading leaves. Safe and easy for beginners. Frost-sensitive — bring indoors in winter.

A relatively compact agave with soft leaves. Thin blue-green leaves create elegant atmosphere.

An agave from Chiapas, Mexico. Native to tropical to subtropical highlands, more adapted to humid conditions than most agaves. Broad, somewhat softer leaves. Prefers relatively warm environments.

Native to Arizona. Named 'golden flower' for its yellow blooms. Bright green leaves with small teeth. Cold-hardy and easy to grow.

Beautiful contrast of blue-grey leaves and reddish-brown spines. From Sonora, Mexico. Compact for pot cultivation.

Variegated mutation of Colorata. Blue-white leaves with yellow variegation create stunning contrast. Slightly less cold-hardy than normal form. Highly prized by collectors.

Native to Guerrero, Mexico. Used in mezcal production. Wide leaves with copper-colored teeth give a wild appearance. Grows large at maturity.

A beautiful agave with soft elegantly curving leaves. Known by Japanese name 'Taki no Shiraito'.

A small spineless agave. Dense rosette type producing many offsets for clustering. Safe to manage.

One of the largest agaves. Magnificent sight with huge blue-white leaves spreading in fan shape.

A medium agave from Coahuila to Nuevo León, Mexico. Forms an elegant rosette of long, narrow green leaves. Rich in fibers traditionally used for brushes and other products.

An agave from the Sierra Madre of Mexico. Forms wide green rosettes with finely serrated leaf margins. Relatively large species; monocarpic, dying after flowering.

Medium-sized agave from southern Mexico. Dark green leaves contrast beautifully with reddish-brown teeth. Forms compact rosettes ideal for container culture.

Medium agave from Texas to New Mexico. Characterized by slim, elegant leaves. Related to Palmeri but more slender. Very cold-hardy, suited for ground planting.

A rare agave from Guadalajara, Mexico. Popular for broad blue-gray leaves and compact form.

A beautiful medium agave with cream-colored edges. Rare species from limestone areas of Oaxaca.

Native to Mexico. Dark green fleshy leaves lined with sharp black teeth give a wild appearance. More cold-hardy than Titanota and adapts well to Japan's climate. Somewhat slow-growing.

A small agave from Oaxaca, Mexico. Attractive for its compact rosette and thick leaves.

An agave from Oaxaca, Mexico. Unique tree-like growth habit with rosettes forming on woody stems. Also known as 'Palo de Mezcal' and used in mezcal production.

A popular agave long cultivated in Japan. Hardy, easy for beginners, and easily available.

A small agave widely native to the Chihuahuan Desert. Called the 'indicator plant of the Chihuahuan Desert'. Sharp leaf tips and clumping habit. Strong fibers traditionally used for rope and baskets.

An agave with narrow leaves and abundant white thread-like fibers, similar to Filifera. Sometimes considered a hybrid.

An agave with vivid central green and lime green edges. Cold-hardy enough for ground planting.

A large agave from central Mexico with many long, narrow leaves forming a majestic rosette. Traditionally used to produce pulque (fermented beverage).

Unique agave with marble-like patterns on leaves. Native to Oaxaca, Mexico. Wide leaves form a rosette, and individual variation in patterns adds collectibility.

Small agave native to Arizona. Narrow gray-green leaves form compact rosettes. Characterized by filaments along leaf margins. Extremely cold-hardy.

Native to northwestern Mexico. True to its name, produces numerous filaments from leaf margins. More filaments than Filifera or Schidigera, creating a showy appearance.

Native to Arizona. Historically cultivated by indigenous peoples for food. Produces bulbils on flower stalks for vegetative reproduction. Characterized by hard gray-green leaves.

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.

Related to Victoria-reginae but smaller and more compact. Also called 'King Ferdinand.' Beautiful white paint-like leaf markings. Endangered endemic to Mexico.

An agave from Sonora with characteristic dark green to near-black coloring. True to its name meaning 'black agave', its deeper, shadowy leaf color attracts collectors.

An ultra-small agave that fits in the palm. Delicate species with narrow leaves radiating densely.

Wild population considered the base species of Titanota. Wild power from harsh Mexican habitat. Recently reclassified.

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.

An agave from the Parras region of Coahuila, Mexico. Forms a near-spherical beautiful rosette with serrated leaf margins. Popular with collectors; relatively slow growing.

A garden-selected cultivar of Agave parrasana with exceptionally spherical rosette formation. Rounder than standard Parrasana; its near-perfect globe form is highly valued by collectors.

Compact rosette with densely layered blue-grey leaves. Extremely cold-hardy, suitable for year-round outdoor planting.

A beautiful agave from Sonora, Mexico. Attractive contrast between smooth green leaves and black spines.

Also known as Kisshoukan in Japanese. Beautiful contrast of rounded leaves and red spines. Compact and suited for pots.

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 the small Cuban agave. 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.

Rare species from Cedros Island, Baja California. Broad gray-blue leaves with striking reddish-brown margins. Slow-growing collector's species.

An agave from southern California to Baja California. Native to coastal rocky areas with notable salt tolerance. Broad green leaves with reddish spines make it highly ornamental.

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.

Native to Baja California. Numerous subspecies offer rich variation in leaf color and form — from blue-white to gray and green. Extremely drought tolerant.

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.

The species that started the agave boom. Thick leaves with white teeth vary by origin: 'White Whale', 'Hime Ganryu', 'FO-076'.

One of the most iconic Titanota locality forms. Numbered by Felipe Otero. Dense white teeth and compact form make it highly popular. Selected specimens command premium prices.

Small agave from Arizona with slender leaves densely covered in filaments. Subspecies bella is especially compact and popular.

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

A dwarf variety of V. Reginae. Beautiful compact size with dense white paint markings.

Native to central Mexico. Beautiful blue-white leaves with wavy tooth impressions. Related to Potatorum but larger. Garden cultivars available.

Known as Sasa-no-Yuki (Snow on Bamboo). Green leaves with white paint-like markings. Slow growing but very beautiful.

A beautiful compact agave with white markings, slow-growing but artistically perfect.

Small to medium agave from Mexico. Blue-green leaves with delicate teeth. Less commonly available but compact and ideal for container culture. Hidden gem for collectors.

A large agave from Sinaloa to Chihuahua, Mexico. Traditionally used by the indigenous Tarahumara people for food and fermented beverages. Broad, blue-tinged leaves are characteristic.

An agave with elongated leaves lined with unique woody tooth-like spines. Wild appearance popular with men.

An agave from the Sonoran Desert named for zebra-like horizontal banding on its leaves. Serrated leaf margins and distinctive striping add to its ornamental value. A rare species sought by collectors.

An agave with distinctive spines curving like cow horns. Beautiful glossy bright green leaves.

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 large agave used to make Mexican Pulque (fermented drink). Impressive with large thick leaves.

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

A sharp agave with blue-gray leaves and long black terminal spines. Compact, ideal for balcony growing.

A cold-hardy agave from Mexican mountains. Beautiful compact rosette with red spines.

A unique agave with soft spineless leaves spreading downward. Distinctive spider-like appearance.

A sharp agave with central leaf line and serrated edge spines. Relatively fast growing.

A unique agave with white thread-like fibers emerging from leaf edges. Small to medium, ideal for collections.

A beautiful agave with many narrow densely packed leaves with threads. Radial form like green fireworks.

A cold-hardy agave native to American Southwest desert. Characterized by sharp spines and blue-white leaves.

A large agave with relatively few spines. Hardy common species used in gardens and public landscaping.

A large agave with wide round leaves like whale's tongue. High cold tolerance with beautiful blue-white leaves.