With its graceful, curvy, Medusa-like leaves, octopus agave makes an eye-catching focal point in any desert garden. Plant one once, and later it will reward you with an endless supply of baby plants. Here’s everything you need to know about growing this fascinating Sonoran Desert native in this complete care guide.
Octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana) is a large agave with arching leaves reminiscent of octopus arms. It’s more garden-friendly than most agaves, since it doesn’t have sharp spines — each leaf ends in a relatively soft tip.
As arresting as this plant normally is, it gets really fascinating when in bloom. Its flower stalk not only produces flowers, but also forms thousands of small replicas of itself called bulbils.
Here’s a stalk covered with baby agaves. I find this weirdly wonderful! When this happens, you’ll have fun planting some and giving away the rest.
Octopus agave is an extremely low-maintenance plant that needs virtually no care, except for occasional water.
When in bloom, flowers attract hummingbirds. Plants are generally deer and rabbit resistant.
Why I Like This Plant
- Provides architectural interest all year
- Gets big, grows fast
- Relatively soft spikes
- Extremely low maintenance
- Very cool flower stalk
Things to Watch Out For
Octopus agave has a short life expectancy — only around 7 to 10 years. Like all agaves, it flowers once and then dies.
It grows fast and can easily outgrow its space if you don’t consider its mature size when planting.
Unlike many agaves, it doesn’t reproduce by pups or offsets, so you won’t find new plants popping up in your yard.
Agaves contain compounds that can cause a rash called agave dermatitis in some people.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding an octopus 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
Octopus agave should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 9 – 11. It tolerates desert heat and survives temperatures into the low to mid-twenties.
Sun Exposure
Octopus agave tolerates full sun, but too much sun can turn them yellow. Plants look their best when planted in dappled shade or in a spot where they’re sheltered from afternoon sun.
Don’t plant this along a west-facing wall or in the sunniest spot in your garden. It doesn’t tolerate reflected sun from walls and buildings, especially in the hottest areas like Phoenix.
Size and Growth Rate
Octopus agave ultimately reaches a size of 4 feet tall by 5 to 6 feet wide. It’s a fast grower that is relatively short-lived.
Sometime between 7 and 10 years, it will send up a striking 10 to 15 foot tall flower stalk covered with creamy yellow flowers and bulbils that signals the end of its life.
Soil
In its native habitat in Mexico, octopus agave grows on cliffs in rocky soil. It will grow in any type of desert soil, from sand to clay, provided it’s well-draining.
Other Location Considerations
Octopus agave can be grown in a large pot. Make sure your pot has excellent drainage and use specifically formulated cactus soil.
Since this is a relatively “soft” agave, it’s a better choice than many agaves to plant along sidewalks, near pools, on patios, or anywhere else it might come in contact with people and pets. But keep its ultimate size in mind.
Octopus Agave:
The Essentials
| Common Name | Octopus agave |
| Scientific Name | Agave vilmoriniana |
| Origin | Mexico |
| USDA Zones | Zones 9 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 24℉ |
| Mature Size | 4’ high x 5-6’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot |
| Cautions | Agave dermatitis |
| Wildlife | Attracts hummingbirds, Deer, rabbit 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, place 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.
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 spring between April and May when warm temperatures encourage root development.
How to Care for Octopus 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 |
No supplemental water is necessary during the winter, provided there have been winter rains. Avoid watering if freezing temperatures are in the forecast.
If you’re growing your agave in a container, use this watering schedule as a guide.
| Spring & Fall | Every 7-10 days |
| Summer | Every 5-7 days |
| Winter | Every 10-14 days |
Frequent watering will make your agave grow larger, faster. This might sound like a good thing, but it causes your agave to reach the end of its life span sooner.
Should You Fertilize?
There is no need to fertilize octopus agave, they get all they need from the surrounding desert soil. But if you grow one in a pot, fertilize lightly once a month spring through summer.
How to Prune
Octopus agave should not be pruned except to remove dead lower leaves.
Pests & Diseases
Agave snout weevil is an insect that can attack and kill any agave, but fortunately, octopus agave is not among those that are most susceptible.
Don’t overwater octopus agave. If overwatered, it can develop root rot.
Don’t Confuse Octopus Agave With…
Octopus agave looks a lot like smooth agave (Agave desmetiana) or Weber’s agave (Agave weberi). One way to tell them apart is by their size.
While octopus agave is large, Weber’s agave can become massive — 5 feet tall by 10 feet wide.
Smooth agave is smaller and grows taller than wide (4 feet tall by 3 feet wide). It is less cold hardy (down to 30℉) and often experiences cold damage in Tucson and other zone 9B gardens.
Octopus Agave Cultivar
With creamy-yellow stripes along its margins, variegated octopus agave (Agave vilmoriniana ‘Stained Glass’) is an extremely attractive cultivar of octopus agave. It is virtually the same in form and care requirements as the parent plant.
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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 over 15 years.
