Agave stricta

hedgehog agave
Hedgehog agave forms beautiful colonies of stiff leafed heads.
Agave stricta
height 1–2ft
width 2–20ft
tolerates Drought, Heat, Neglect, Wind
water
needs		 Lowest
water
info		 Agave plants 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.
hardy
to		 24F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose 1/2 Strength, Low Needs
origin S Mexico
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 13, 15–17, 19–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

OUTDOOR EXPOSURE GUIDE

Full Sun
Six or more hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Shade
Three to five hours of sun beams directly landing on the plant's leaves.

Part Sun
One to two hours of sun beams directly landing on the plants leaves.

Full Shade
The plant is never fully lit by sun beams, but is in a bright spot or has dappled sunbeams playing over the leaves throughout the day.

Deep Shade
The plant never has dappled light on the leaves, and is in a place that feels dim, even on a nice sunny day.

SUNSET ZONES MAP

Growing Notes

Width is for a single head, not the width of the colony, which can be expansive. This agave is best used to create a large colony, as it suckers prolifically.
This agave is monocarpic, meaning that a head will grow larger and larger over time, building up energy, then send off a spectacular flower, after which it declines and dies. 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.
Agaves, even very large ones, are a great choice to grow in a pot. Agaves 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 rootbound, and it can be beneficial to bottom water, setting them in a saucer of water for a day.

Special Interest

See the colony at UC Berkeley Botanical Garden to view the full mesmerizing potential of this plant.

Six to seven foot tall reddish purple flower spike at end of life.