Agave americana ‘Variegata’

Showy agave creates a colony of yellow variegated leaves. Leaves are stiff in sun, but may flop with some shade. Does not need irrigation once established.
Agave americana 'Variegata'
height 4–6ft
width 6–8ft
tolerates Coast, Cool Summers, Drought, Deer , Fog, Gophers, Heat, Pots, Rooftops, Neglect, Salt, Wind
water
needs		 Low
water
info		 Agave are extremely drought tolerant, and this one needs no supplemental irrigation in coastal California. They will however look better and grow faster if they are given additional water, especially during summer.

If planted in shade don’t irrigate the agave past establishment.
hardy
to		 20F
exposure Full Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose, Low Needs
origin SW USA, N Mexico
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 8–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

Growing Notes

Most agave, including this one, are monocarpic, meaning that a head will grow larger and larger over time, building up energy, then send off a spectacular flower and afterward decline and die. Very large 20 foot flower spike at maturity!
This variety suckers, growing from stolons at the base, constantly replacing the older bloomed out heads with new ones, which then grow larger and flower, continuing the life cycle.
Take care when pruning or removing agave, as this one has a toxic sap that causes inflammation and rashing. Removing spent agave heads can also be tricky as they are often ringed with other armed agave. If you like the look of agave, but are threatened by the terminal spikes they can be removed. It’s easiest to cut these off when they are coming out of the rosette as you’ll be able to prune the thorns off many layers of leaves at one time.
You can ‘pineapple’ your agave, by removing the lowest leaves. This is best started while it is out of the nursery can, but before planting, when you can access leaves from the bottom. This gives the plant a short trunk, textured similar to many palms, and allows you to get under the plant for weeding or removing pups.
Agave, even very large ones, are surprisingly well suited to pot culture. Agave that would normally be ten feet in the ground tend to settle into even small pots and stay in harmonious balance. Every few years, if they start to stall, you can remove them and trim back a third of the roots and remove any pups. Sometimes they get very root bound and it can be beneficial to bottom water, setting them in a saucer of water for a day.

Special Interest

When agave set pups they can easily be removed and propagated. It’s best to do this once they start to establish and have some of their own roots.

Excellent ‘home defense’ tool when planted along a fence line or beneath windows.