Genus Reference
Agave
Agave identification, cultivation, and care guides for these architectural succulents.
The Complete Agave Guide: Identification, Cultivation & Propagation
Comprehensive guide to the genus Agave: taxonomy, morphology, light and watering needs, cold hardiness, propagation by offset and bulbil, and common problems, with links to species and cultivar guides.
Read the guide →Species & Cultivars
All articles in this section
Agave Winter Damage: Frost, Wet Roots & Recovery
How winter damages agaves through frost, wet roots, crown water, and low light, with species-specific triage and recovery steps for containers and outdoor plantings.
Agave Leaves Curling: Drought, Cold & Root Stress Causes
Why agave leaves curl inward or fold lengthwise, how to distinguish drought, root damage, cold stress, and transplant shock, and how to restore leaf tension.
Agave Leggy and Stretched: Causes and Correction
Why agave rosettes become leggy, elongated, or lose their compact geometry, how to distinguish etiolation from normal species character, and how to correct and prevent light-deficiency distortion.
Agave Leaves Yellowing: Causes, Diagnosis & Fixes
Why agave leaves turn yellow, how to separate normal ageing from over-watering, root stress, nutrient problems, low light, and pest damage, and what to do next.
Agave Leaves Turning Black: Rot, Frost & Sun Damage
How to diagnose black agave leaves by texture and position, including crown rot, frost damage, sun scorch, pest collapse, and old mechanical wounds.
Agave Not Growing: Dormancy, Roots, Light & Pot Size
Why an agave appears not to grow, how to distinguish normal slow growth from dormancy, poor roots, low light, cold soil, and incorrect potting, and how to restart growth safely.
Agave Crown Rot: Diagnosis, Cutout & Recovery
How to diagnose agave crown rot by symptom pattern, perform a cutout on a partially affected rosette, and assess whether the plant is salvageable.
Agave Not Producing Pups: Offsets, Age & Species
Why an agave is not producing pups, which species offset heavily or sparsely, and how maturity, pot size, stress, flowering, and propagation method affect offset production.
Agave Spider Mites: Webbing, Speckling & Treatment
How to identify spider mite infestations on agave by webbing and speckling, why hot dry conditions trigger outbreaks, and the full treatment and prevention protocol.
Agave Brown Tips: Water, Salt, Sun & Root Causes
Why agave leaf tips turn brown, when it is cosmetic, and how to correct drought stress, salt buildup, sun scorch, frost injury, and root problems.
Agave Bottom Leaves Dying: Senescence or Disease?
How to tell whether dying agave bottom leaves are normal senescence, monocarpy onset, root rot progressing upward, or physical damage — and when each situation requires action.
Agave Snout Weevil: Identification, Damage & Control
How to identify agave snout weevil damage, distinguish it from crown rot and drought stress, and protect neighbouring agaves before larvae destroy the crown.
Agave mitis (formerly A. celsii): Profile & Care
Agave mitis (formerly A. celsii) profile: a soft spineless rosette to 80 cm wide on Mexican limestone, frost limits, ID against A. attenuata and bracteosa.
Agave Death-Bloom Explained: What Monocarpy Means
Agave death-bloom explained: monocarpy biology, why agaves flower once and die, signs of bolting, polycarpic exceptions, and how the clone outlives the rosette.
Agave utahensis (Utah Agave): Cold-Hardy Profile
Agave utahensis cold-hardy profile: the most frost-tolerant agave in cultivation, Mojave and Colorado Plateau range, varieties, and dry-root care notes.
Agave macroacantha (Black-Spined Agave): Profile & Care
Agave macroacantha, the black-spined agave: compact blue-grey Mexican species with dark teeth, strong offsets, container care, and noted dry-cold limits.
Agave bracteosa (Squid Agave): Profile & Care
Agave bracteosa, the squid agave: a spineless, polycarpic cliff-dweller from north-east Mexico. Full identification, cultivation, and propagation guide.
Agave stricta (Hedgehog Agave): Profile & Care
Agave stricta profile: hedgehog rosettes from Puebla and Oaxaca, dense 100-200 leaf form, frost limits, ID against A. striata and A. parviflora, and care.
Agave geminiflora (Twin-flowered Agave): Profile & Care
Agave geminiflora profile: a Nayarit endemic with 300-500 thread-fine leaves and white marginal fibres, IUCN Vulnerable, with care, ID, and propagation notes.
Agave salmiana (Pulque Agave): Cultivation & History
Agave salmiana profile: pulque history, Mexican highland habitat, dry-cold limits, mature size, ID traits, cultivation, propagation, and close lookalikes.
Agave montana (Mountain Agave): Cold-Hardy Profile
Cold-hardy profile of Agave montana, a Mexican cloud-forest agave with bold bud imprints, dry-root frost tolerance, and clear cultivation cues for gardens.
Agave isthmensis (Dwarf Butterfly Agave): Profile & Care
Agave isthmensis profile: a dwarf 25-40 cm Tehuantepec endemic with red-brown marginal teeth and pale bud imprints, with care, ID, and propagation notes.
Agave parviflora (Santa Cruz Striped Agave): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave parviflora, the miniature Santa Cruz striped agave: identification, cold tolerance, and propagation.
Agave angustifolia (Caribbean Agave): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave angustifolia, the narrow-leaved agave and principal mescal species: identification, growing conditions, and propagation.
Agave palmeri (Palmer's Agave): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave palmeri, the bat-pollinated Sonoran species: identification, cold tolerance, flowering behaviour, and propagation.
Agave murpheyi (Hohokam Agave): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave murpheyi, a pre-Columbian cultivated agave of the US-Mexico borderlands: identification, archaeological origin, and propagation.
Agave tequilana (Blue Agave): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave tequilana 'Weber Azul', the blue agave of tequila production: identification, growing conditions, and propagation.
Agave americana (Century Plant): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave americana, the century plant: identifying features, cold tolerance, light and water needs, and propagation from offsets.
Agave vilmoriniana (Octopus Agave): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave vilmoriniana, the octopus agave: arching spineless leaves, prolific bulbil propagation, and growing conditions.
Agave attenuata (Foxtail Agave): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave attenuata, the spineless foxtail agave: identification, cold sensitivity, light needs, and propagation from offsets and bulbils.
Agave parryi (Parry's Agave): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave parryi, the most cold-hardy commonly cultivated agave: identification, growing conditions, and propagation from offsets.
Growing Agave in Annapolis and the Mid-Atlantic: What Works
Guide to growing Agave in Annapolis, Maryland and the wider Mid-Atlantic: zone-appropriate species selection, winter protection, and siting for a humid-continental climate.
Agave victoriae-reginae (Queen Victoria Agave): Identification and Care
Cultivation profile for Agave victoriae-reginae, the geometric Queen Victoria agave: identification, growing conditions, and propagation from offsets and seed.