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Plants that fill a similar niche:
Agave Queen Victoria's agave form
Agave americana agave americana cameron art museum wilmington nc skdavdison
Thymus vulgaris Thymus vulgaris

Parry's Agave Agave parryi

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
a-GAH-vay PAIR-ree-eye
Description

Parry's agave is a rosette-forming perennial in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae) native to the deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, TX and northern Mexico.

The plant grows 1-3 feet tall and wide in full sun and well-drained sandy or rocky soil and spreads by rhizomes to form dense colonies. It is very drought tolerant so allow the soil to completely dry between waterings and do not water in the winter. It is cold tolerant to -5 degrees as long as it is dry and salt tolerant for coastal areas. Propagation is by division.

The thick glaucous gray-green leaves are in a rosette and have a dark terminal spine. When the plant matures it will send up a 10-20 foot stem with red buds that open to many bright yellow showy flowers. The rosette will die back after seedset but replaces itself by the many offsets.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Being a smaller agave makes it useful for the home drought-tolerant or rock garden. It can also be grown in a container.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: root-rot can occur in overly moist soils.

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Houseplants, Succulents, and Cacti", a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.

More information on Agave.

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See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • ssp. neomexicana
    New Mexico agave
  • var. couseii
    Smaller at 18 inches tall x 2 feet wide, with many offsets
  • var. huachucensis
    Huachuca agave
  • var. truncata
    Mescal agave
ssp. neomexicana, var. couseii, var. huachucensis, var. truncata
Tags:
#evergreen#full sun tolerant#heat tolerant#drought tolerant#specimen#succulent#yellow flowers#salt tolerant#winter interest#contrast#coarse#edible leaves#sandy soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#container plant#accent#HS303#xeriscaping#hummingbirds
 
Form of the plant with leaves in a rosette
Form Andrew Toskin CC-BY-SA 2.0
Flower
Flower CC BY 2.0 JC Raulston Arboretum
JC Raulston Arboretum
Tall flowering stalk
Stalk CC BY 2.0 JC Raulston Arboretum
JC Raulston Arboretum
Close up the leaves in a rosette form
Close up Andrew Toskin CC-BY-SA 2.0
Large flower stalk after which the parent plant will die.
Large flower stalk after which the parent plant will die. James St. John CC BY 2.0
Grouping
Grouping CC0
var. 'huachucensis' - full plant
var. 'huachucensis' - full plant Jim Lawrence CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Cultivars / Varieties:
  • ssp. neomexicana
    New Mexico agave
  • var. couseii
    Smaller at 18 inches tall x 2 feet wide, with many offsets
  • var. huachucensis
    Huachuca agave
  • var. truncata
    Mescal agave
ssp. neomexicana, var. couseii, var. huachucensis, var. truncata
Tags:
#evergreen#full sun tolerant#heat tolerant#drought tolerant#specimen#succulent#yellow flowers#salt tolerant#winter interest#contrast#coarse#edible leaves#sandy soils tolerant#dry soils tolerant#container plant#accent#HS303#xeriscaping#hummingbirds
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Agave
    Species:
    parryi
    Family:
    Asparagaceae
    Uses (Ethnobotany):
    Native Americans use this plant for its fibers, to make soap, and as medicine. The liquid from a plant that is about to flower can be fermented to make pulque which can be distilled into tequila or mescal.
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Division
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    US and Mexico
    Distribution:
    AZ, NM, TX and northern Mexico
    Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
    drought, dry and sandy soil
    Edibility:
    The leaves and stalk are edible
    Dimensions:
    Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
    Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Edible
    Perennial
    Succulent
    Habit/Form:
    Clumping
    Growth Rate:
    Slow
    Maintenance:
    Medium
    Texture:
    Coarse
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
    Very Dry
    Available Space To Plant:
    12 inches-3 feet
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Piedmont
    USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
    6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
  • Fruit:
    Fruit Type:
    Capsule
    Fruit Description:
    Seed pods
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Showy
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Tubular
    Flower Description:
    The plant takes 8-15 years to mature then sends up a 10-20 foot stem with red buds that open bright yellow. They are small elongated tubular flowers in large clusters on a spike
  • Leaves:
    Leaf Color:
    Blue
    Gray/Silver
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Leathery
    Prickly
    Rough
    Leaf Value To Gardener:
    Long-lasting
    Showy
    Leaf Type:
    Simple
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Rosulate
    Whorled
    Leaf Shape:
    Oblong
    Ovate
    Leaf Margin:
    Dentate
    Hairs Present:
    No
    Leaf Length:
    > 6 inches
    Leaf Width:
    3-6 inches
    Leaf Description:
    Basal rosette of 2-foot long thick succulent gray-green to blue-gray with toothed margins in a tight whorl with a dark terminal spine.
  • Stem:
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Description:
    Tall flowering stem with many branches
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Container
    Naturalized Area
    Patio
    Pool/Hardscape
    Slope/Bank
    Landscape Theme:
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Winter Garden
    Design Feature:
    Accent
    Small groups
    Specimen
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought
    Dry Soil
    Heat