Artichoke agave is a beautifully symmetrical, distinctive-looking agave that looks like an artichoke. Here’s everything you need to know about planting and taking care of this Sonoran Desert native.
Artichoke agave (Agave parryi var. truncata) is a distinctive-looking medium-sized agave that is a native of the Sonoran Desert. It is such a popular landscape plant that it is now more common in cultivation than in the wild.
Its silver-blue leaves form symmetric rosettes which look much like an artichoke. If you look closely, you can see the imprint from adjacent leaves, adding some textural interest.
Artichoke agave is an extremely low-maintenance plant. It can take either full or part sun, grows slowly, doesn’t need pruning, needs minimal water, and doesn’t produce litter.
But what it does produce is offsets called “pups”. If you’re looking for an agave to naturalize in your yard to fill in bare spaces, this plant is up for the job.
Why I Like This Plant
- Looks beautiful all year
- Eye-catching blue-gray leaves
- Extremely hardy and low-maintenance
- Produces many pups – who doesn’t love free plants?
Things to Watch Out For
While its name is artichoke, there is nothing about this plant that suggests you would want to eat it. In fact, everything about this plant says “Do not touch”.
Its leaves are lined with sharp, black teeth and have wicked spines at the tips.
Agaves contain compounds that can cause a rash called agave dermatitis in some people.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding an artichoke agave to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good… while minimizing maintenance for you.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Artichoke agave should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 – 11. It can take both extreme heat and cold and survives temperatures down to 15℉.
Sun Exposure
You can plant artichoke agave in full sun or part shade, but it performs best when it gets some relief from intense afternoon sun.
Size and Growth Rate
Artichoke agave is slow growing and ultimately reaches a mature size of 3 feet tall by 3 feet wide.
It can live to be 25 years old. At the end of its lifecycle, it will send up a 12-foot flower stalk and then die.
Soil
Artichoke agave actually prefers rocky, alkaline desert soil. Planting in poor soil will help avoid root rot.
It can be planted in pots but needs excellent drainage. Make sure your pot has adequate drainage holes and use specifically formulated cactus soil.
Other Location Considerations
Due to this plant’s spikey nature, keep it away from guests, children, and pets. Do not put it near a sidewalk, pool, front door, or anywhere people might brush against it or be tempted to touch it.
Artichoke Agave:
The Essentials
| Common Name | Artichoke agave |
| Scientific Name | Agave parryi var. truncata |
| Origin | Mexico, Arizona |
| USDA Zones | Zones 9 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 15℉ |
| Mature Size | 3′ high x 3’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part, reflected sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot if overwatered |
| Warnings | Agave dermatitis, spines |
| Wildlife | Deer resistant |
How to Plant
Dig a hole as deep as and twice as wide as the nursery container. Carefully remove the plant from the container, put it in the hole, and fill with the same native soil you just removed. Press the soil to remove any air pockets.
Never plant deeper than the depth of the root ball which can cause rot. Actually, it’s best to plant an inch or two above soil level to give the plant room to settle and leave room for mulch.
It’s generally recommended that you not add amendments to the soil. However, good drainage is critical so if your soil drains slowly, amend with coarse sand or small gravel until you have a loose, well-drained mix.
When to Plant
The best time to plant agaves is in April and May. The warm temperatures of spring encourage root development.
How to Care for Artichoke Agave
Whether you’ve recently planted an agave or have an existing plant in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water
You’re probably used to giving a plant a good soaking immediately after transplanting, but that isn’t the best practice with agaves.
Counterintuitively, it’s best to not water agaves for one to two weeks after planting. Then use the following schedule as a guide.
| Spring & Fall | Every 3-5 weeks |
| Summer | Every 2-4 weeks |
| Winter | Only if no winter rains |
Avoid watering if freezing temperatures are in the forecast.
Frequent watering will make an agave grow larger, faster. This might sound like a good thing, but it causes the plant to reach the end of its life span sooner.
Should You Fertilize?
There is no need to fertilize artichoke agave, they get all they need from the surrounding desert soil. But if you keep it in a pot, fertilize lightly a few times a year when it’s actively growing.
How to Prune and Propagate
This plant rarely needs pruning except to remove dead or damaged lower leaves.
If you want more plants, artichoke agaves are easy to propagate. All you have to do is dig up the pups, making sure that some root remains intact, and plant them elsewhere in your yard or in pots.
Pests
The agave snout weevil is an insect that can attack any agave, but large agaves like century plant (Agave americana) and Weber’s agave (Agave weberii) are most at risk. However, Agave parryi is on the list of agaves considered to be susceptible.
Learn how to recognize this pest and what steps you should take if you have an infected plant in our article Agave Weevil: Little Bug, Big Problem.
Artichoke Agave Cultivars
The scientific name Agave parryi var. truncata indicates that it is a variety. The parent plant, Parry’s agave (Agave parryi), is a popular landscape plant in its own right.
Plant varieties naturally occur in nature, usually as adaptations to their environment. This is different than a cultivar, which has been selectively bred for desired traits.
There are quite a few cultivars of artichoke agave, which is unusual since it is already a variety.
Agave parryi var. truncata Retro Choke™ is slightly more cold-hardy and has a more open form.
Agave parryi var. truncata ‘Lime Streak‘ also has a more open form and light green streaks along the leaf edges.
Agave parryi var. truncata ‘Huntington’ has particularly dramatic blue leaves. This cultivar is a clone from the plant collection at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California.
Did you enjoy this article?
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
where you’ll find more great info on creating &
maintaining a beautiful, carefree desert landscape.
Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
