	height	4–6ft
	width	6–8ft
	tolerates	Drought, Deer , Heat
	water needs	Lowest
	water info	Agave plants are extremely drought tolerant, and this one needs no supplemental irrigation in coastal California. It will, however, look better and grow faster if given additional water, especially during summer.
	hardy to	25F
	exposure	Part Shade – Full Sun
	indoor outdoor	Outdoor
	drainage	In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
	origin	Mexico
	california native	No
	sunset zones	13, 15–24

Growing Notes

Like most agave the plant is monocarpic, meaning that a head will grow larger and larger over time, building up energy, then send off a spectacular flower, after which they decline and die. With pupping varieties, like this one, they grow from stolons and rhizomes 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 agaves, as many have a toxic sap that causes inflammation and rashing. Removing spent agave heads can also be tricky as they are often ringed with other armed agaves. If you like the look of agaves, 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.

While this agave will do surprisingly well in a pot, smaller agave are generally a better choice.

Agave sisalana ‘Mediopicta’

Growing Notes

Special Interest