Succulent · Asparagaceae Draft — unreviewed
Century plant
Agave americana L.
Also called century plant.
Huge blue-gray rosette of toothed, spine-tipped leaves. After 10–25 years it sends up a tall flower stalk and the main rosette dies, leaving pups.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 1.2–1.8 m (4–6 ft) tall and 1.8–3 m (6–10 ft) wide; medium growth, about 15 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.25) from the #5 install size.
Design notes
- Site at least 1.5 m from walks; terminal spines are dangerous.
- Remove pups to keep a single specimen.
- Sap can irritate skin.
Regions
Native range: Mexico (long cultivated).
Not recorded as native to any of the three pilot regions.
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Blue Glow agave
Agave 'Blue Glow' · Succulent · 0.3–0.5 m (1 ft)
Parry's agave
Agave parryi · Succulent · 0.5–0.6 m (1–2 ft)
Aloe vera
Aloe vera · Succulent · 0.5–0.6 m (1–2 ft)
Saguaro
Carnegiea gigantea · Succulent · 4.5–12 m (15–39 ft)
Desert spoon
Dasylirion wheeleri · Succulent · 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft)
Engelmann's hedgehog cactus
Echinocereus engelmannii · Succulent · 0.2–0.5 m (0–1 ft)
Plan with Century plant
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.