Whale’s tongue is a bold agave with thick, silver leaves that make an eye-catching focal point in desert gardens. It’s desert tough and largely impervious to desert heat, drought, and cold. Here’s how to plant and care for this Chihuahuan Desert native in this complete growing guide.
Whale’s tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia) is a medium-size agave that’s an all-around impressive landscape plant.
Its wide, thick, blue-gray leaves form stunning rosettes that look cool even during blazing heat. The leaves have noticeable bud imprints, sharp teeth, and spiny tips that warn “do not touch.”
Whale’s tongue agave is as close to “no maintenance” as a plant can be. It grows slowly, doesn’t need pruning, needs minimal water, and doesn’t produce litter. It is a particularly sturdy agave, tolerating extreme cold and drought better than many.
It is solitary, meaning it does not produce offsets or pups. So it won’t outgrow its space by forming colonies, as some agave species do.
And at the end of its lifespan, it puts out a large flower stalk that attracts hummingbirds, bats, bees, moths, and other pollinating insects.
Why I Like This Plant
- Looks stunning all year
- Distinctive blue-gray leaves
- Extremely hardy, low-maintenance
- Doesn’t readily outgrow its space
- Attracts pollinators when in bloom
Things to Watch Out For
While all agaves can develop root rot if overwatered, whale’s tongue is more susceptible to root rot than most. It is imperative that it not be overwatered. This means not planting it next to plants that are regularly irrigated.
Handle with care! Its leaves are lined with hooked teeth and have sharp 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 a whale’s tongue 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
Whale’s tongue agave should be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 10. As a Chihuahuan Desert native, it tolerates extreme heat and cold. It can survive temperatures as low as 0℉, but it doesn’t like cold, wet roots and handles “dry” cold better than “wet” cold.
Sun Exposure
Whale’s tongue agave thrives in full sun but will tolerate some partial shade. It appreciates some afternoon shade in the hot, low desert, such as the dappled shade under a tree. Protection from intense afternoon sun keeps the beautiful silver leaves from turning yellow.
Size and Growth Rate
Whale’s tongue agave is slow growing and ultimately reaches a mature size of 2 to 4 feet tall by 3 to 5 feet wide.
Plants usually live 10 to 20 years. At the end of its lifecycle, it will send up an impressive flower stalk and then die. The candelabra-shaped flower stalks are fast-growing and reach a height of 11 to 13 feet.
Soil
In its native habitat, whale’s tongue agave grows on rocky mountain slopes. In the garden, it prefers rocky or sandy soil. Good drainage is essential to avoid root rot.
It can be grown in a large container, but it 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 spiky nature, keep it away from guests, children, and pets. Avoid growing it near a sidewalk, pool, front door, or anywhere people might brush against it or be tempted to touch it.
You can clip the spines to protect people or pets that may come in contact with it, but it will still have sharp teeth on its margins.
Since it’s slow-growing and doesn’t produce pups, it makes a good container plant that can stay in the same pot for years.
Whale’s Tongue Agave:
The Essentials
| Common Name | Whale’s tongue agave |
| Scientific Name | Agave ovatifolia |
| Origin | Mexico |
| USDA Zones | Zones 7 – 10 |
| Cold Hardiness | To 0℉ |
| Mature Size | 2-4′ tall x 3-5’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Slow |
| Sun Tolerance | Full, part sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot |
| Cautions | Agave dermatitis, significant spines |
| Wildlife | Supports pollinators (when in bloom) |
How to Plant
To plant an agave, dig a hole the same depth as the root system and twice as wide. 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 and leave room for gravel mulch, if you choose to apply. Do not cover the ground with organic mulch, which can contribute to root rot.
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. The second best time is in late summer or early fall when temperatures are still high.
How to Care for Whale’s Tongue Agave
Whether you’ve recently planted a whale’s tongue 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.
The University of Arizona recommends giving whale’s tongue “minuscule amounts” of water while getting established and even less after it’s established. Frequent watering will make it grow larger and faster, but will also cause it to reach the end of its life sooner and may cause root rot.
If you’re growing your agave in a container, use this watering schedule as a guide. But always check to make sure the soil is completely dry before watering.
| Spring & Fall | Every 7-10 days |
| Summer | Every 5-7 days |
| Winter | Every 10-14 days |
Should You Fertilize?
There is no need to fertilize whale’s tongue agave, it gets all the nutrients it needs from the surrounding desert soil. If you grow one in a pot, fertilize it monthly from spring through summer.
Pruning & Propagation
Whale’s tongue should not be pruned except to remove dead or damaged lower leaves.
Eventually, you’ll need to remove the flower stalk, but try to wait until it’s spent. While in bloom, the flowers are an important source of food for many pollinators.
Whale’s tongue does not produce offsets. It reproduces by seeds and, if the conditions are right, it may produce bulbils, miniature plant clones that appear on the flower stalk. If you see bulbils, let them mature on the stalk. Then you can harvest them to plant for yourself or give away.
Pests
The agave snout weevil is an insect that can attack and kill any agave. Fortunately, whale’s tongue is not among those considered most susceptible.
Plant Lover Facts
Whale’s tongue agave (Agave ovatifolia) is native to Northeastern Mexico.
This species was introduced into the nursery trade by Lynn Lowrey, an acclaimed horticulturalist and leader of the native plant movement in Texas. The popular Texas ranger cultivars ‘Lynn’s Legacy’ and ‘Little Lynn‘ were named after him.
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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 16 years.
