Agave parryi

Common Name:
Century plant
Plant Type:
Succulent perennial
Family:
Agavaceae (The Agave Family)
Geographic Origin:
Southwestern States
California Native?:
No

Plant Size:
flower stem to 10-20 feet
Landscape/Garden Uses:
Mixed plantings
Flowering Season:
Summer

Flower Color:
Cream
Exposure:
Full sun
Soils:
Well-drained soil

Suggested Irrigation:
Occasional to no watering
Estimated Hardiness:
Hardy to 0 degrees F. or less

Traditionally used as a source of mescal, Parry's agave is native to a wide range of elevations in the Southwest United States and Mexico. It is one of the cold hardiest of the agaves. Rosettes of glaucous grey leaves reach up to 2 feet tall, and leaves are well armored with a shiny brown spine at the tip as well as small spines on the margins. Robust flower stems, when they appear, can reach 10-20 feet tall and carry umbels of yellow flowers. Rosettes can be solitary or produce offsets.