Agave tequilana ‘RBG’

blue agave
Source of tequila. Stiff narrow leaves. Clumping. Our friends at Ruth Bancroft Garden supplied this type with wider, less rigid leaves with more conspicuous spines than the typical species.
Agave tequilana 'RBG'Agave tequilana 'RBG'
height 4–5ft
width 3–6ft
tolerates Drought, Deer , Heat, Pots, Rooftops, Neglect, Wind
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 Sun – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor		 Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix, Tolerates Sandy Soil
fertilizing All Purpose, Low Needs
california
native		 No
sunset
zones		 13–24

Sunset Zones Map

Outdoor Exposure Guide

Growing Notes

Most agaves 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, after which it will 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.
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

Of course, this is the famous blue agave of tequila fame. What a party topic!