A big, very low-water agave that sits at the cold edge of its range in the High Desert.
Get a Free Planting PlanCentury plant (Agave americana) can grow in the High Desert, but it is at the cold edge of its range: university sources rate it to USDA zone 8, and the Victor Valley is zone 8b with record lows near 0F. It needs full sun, gritty well-drained soil and very little water, plus plenty of room, since a mature plant can spread 6 to 10 ft and carries sharp spines.
Top photo: Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Accent succulent · Agave americana · Also called Agave Americana, American Century Plant, American Aloe, Maguey · Native to Mexico and the southwestern United States
| Century Plant at a glance in the High Desert | |
|---|---|
| Type and size at maturity | Large succulent rosette, 3 to 6 ft tall and 6 to 10 ft wide [2] |
| Growth rate | Slow [1] |
| Water once established | Very low (WUCOLS IV, Region 5) [3] |
| Sun | Full sun [2] |
| Cold hardiness | USDA zones 8a to 11b per NC State Extension; Missouri Botanical Garden lists zones 8 to 10. Marginal in the High Desert (zone 8b, records near 0F). [1] |
| Soil | Sandy or gritty, well-drained soil. Poor drainage leads to root rot. [2] |
| Bloom | Blooms once, usually between years 10 and 25, on a 15 to 30 ft stalk; then the main rosette dies [2] |
| Evergreen or deciduous | Evergreen [2] |
| Pets | Not listed by the ASPCA; check with your vet. Leaf tips and edges carry sharp spines. [4] |
| Rabbits and deer | Resistant to deer [1] |
| Where it fits | Specimen or accent plant, rock gardens and drought-tolerant gardens [1] |
NC State Extension lists century plant for USDA zones 8a through 11b, and the Missouri Botanical Garden says it is reliably winter hardy in zones 8 to 10. Zone 8a means an average coldest night of 10 to 15F. The Victor Valley is zone 8b (15 to 20F), so on paper it fits. The catch is that Victorville has recorded lows near 0F, well below what either source covers.
So treat it as marginal. In a normal winter an established plant should be fine. In a hard freeze it may take leaf damage. Soggy soil adds to the risk, since the Missouri Botanical Garden warns that poorly drained soil leads to root rot. Plant it in the warmest, best-drained spot you have: a south or west exposure, a slope, or a raised bed of rock and gravel.
Heat is not a concern for a desert agave in full sun, and our July highs around 97F are within what it handles in its native range. Wind is general practice here, since the sources do not rate it: the low, heavy rosette does not catch wind, though a young plant in loose soil should be watched after spring storms.
A note on names: this is not blue agave. Blue agave is the tequila plant, Agave tequilana, a different species. Search results mix the two.
The Missouri Botanical Garden says best growth comes in sandy or gritty, well-drained soil in full sun, and that sharp drainage is important because poorly drained soil leads to root rot. Sandy High Desert soil suits it. Caliche, the cemented layer common under Victor Valley lots, does not, because it holds water around the roots. Our High Desert soils guide covers how to test for it.
Plant in spring after the last frost so the roots have a full warm season before winter. Victorville’s median last freeze is around March 18. See our frost dates and growing zones guide.
WUCOLS IV rates Agave americana very low water for Region 5 (High and Intermediate Desert). The Missouri Botanical Garden says it tolerates dry soil and drought, and NC State lists it as drought resistant.
Water it in on planting day, then water only when the soil has dried out. Once established, most of the year it needs little or nothing beyond rain, with an occasional deep soak in the hottest, driest weeks. Victorville gets only about 5.57 inches of rain a year, so a light summer drink is reasonable, but overwatering is the bigger risk. Keep it off lawn and flower-bed sprinkler zones, and never let water pool around the base.
As general practice, stop extra water by fall so the plant goes into winter dry and the soil is not wet during freezes. Our High Desert irrigation guide covers setting up a separate low-water drip zone.
The Missouri Botanical Garden lists the agave weevil as the main pest, plus slugs, snails and root rot in wet soil. A rosette that suddenly collapses or smells rotten at the base may have weevil damage or rot.
Know the life cycle before you plant. Century plant is monocarpic: it blooms once and then the main rosette dies. The Missouri Botanical Garden says outdoor plants usually bloom between their 10th and 25th years, sending up a stalk 15 to 30 ft tall. Offsets (pups) around the base keep growing after the parent dies, and over time they can form a colony.
Where it works:
If a spiny plant is not right for your yard, red yucca gives a similar look with soft leaves and much better cold hardiness.
Plant after the last frost. Remove leaves damaged by winter cold with a clean cut near the base, wearing gloves.
An occasional deep soak in the hottest, driest weeks is plenty for established plants. Watch for a collapsing rosette, a sign of weevil or rot.
Stop extra water so the plant goes into winter dry. Pups can be separated and replanted while the soil is warm.
No water. On forecasts in the low teens or colder, general practice is to cover young plants overnight with frost cloth.
Yes. WUCOLS IV rates Agave americana very low water for the High and Intermediate Desert region. Overwatering is a bigger risk than drought.
NC State Extension lists USDA zones 8a to 11b and the Missouri Botanical Garden lists zones 8 to 10. That covers average High Desert winters, but record lows near 0F are colder than either source covers, so it is marginal here.
Agave americana is not listed by the ASPCA; check with your vet. The spiny leaves are a physical hazard, and NC State notes the sap can irritate skin.
No. Blue agave is Agave tequilana, the tequila plant. Century plant is Agave americana.
Yes. It blooms once, usually between its 10th and 25th year outdoors, and then the main rosette dies. Pups around the base keep growing.
We checked every number on this page against the public sources below. If a rule or date changes, the agency page is the final word.
Monarch designs and installs rockscape, drip irrigation and drought-tolerant plantings across the High Desert. We will check sun, wind and soil on your lot and tell you where a plant will do well and where it will struggle.
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