Agave x leopoldii

Clustering rosettes with halo of curly threads peeling off white-edge leaves Yellow flowers at maturity on a single tower. Suckers.
Agave x leopoldii
height 8–12in
width 8–12in
tolerates Cold, Drought, Heat, Pots, Rooftops, Neglect, Wind
water
needs
Lowest
water
info
Agave plants are extremely drought tolerant, and many need 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
20F
exposure Part Shade – Full Sun
indoor
outdoor
Outdoor
drainage In Ground: Cactus Mix, In Pots: Cactus Mix
fertilizing All Purpose 1/2 Strength, Low Needs
origin Mexico
california
native
No
sunset
zones
8, 9, 12–23

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

Almost all 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, after which it will decline and die. With pupping varieties, like this one, they grow 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 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.
Being a smaller agave, this is an excellent choice for pots, even fairly small ones.

Special Interest

Hybrid of Agave filifera and Agave schidigera (now A. filifera ssp. schidigera)