If you want to find out more information about agave, make sure to check out the list below for the best agave plants to grow in your garden. We will also provide some tips that can help you be successful in growing agave plants whether indoors or outdoors.

Agave varieties prefer full sun exposure and they do best in sandy, well-draining soil. Agave is the perfect plant for forgetful gardeners that tend to forget to water their plants from time to time since they can live even with a small amount of water. Some varieties are cold-tolerant while others cannot tolerate cold climates. Agave plants bloom flowers although it is a rare occurrence, they produce a large flower spike that resembles asparagus.

Here is a list of the best agave plants to grow in the garden:

1. Agave attenuata – This succulent is a spineless variety of agave, which makes it a safe option. It is also known as the Foxtail or Dragon-Tree Agave. It can grow up to 4-5 feet tall. Its flowers are greenish-yellow on the spike. This plant can be used as a houseplant as it does not have spines which can be quite dangerous, unlike the other varieties mentioned on this list. You can plant the Foxtail Agave in a small yard or as a poolside plant where it is not at risk of being brushed up on accidentally by pets, guests, or family members alike.

2. Agave americana – This plant is commonly known as the American Century Plant. Its leaves are bluish and have saw-tooth spines. You can use this plant as a specimen plant in the garden as it can grow quite large with the appropriate growing conditions. Agave Americana Marginata is a known variegated variety of Agave americana.

3. Agave filifera – This plant is also known as the Thread Agave. Its leaves have white edges and have thread-like filaments, hence the name, Thread Agave. This plant has dark green leaves with a slight bronze shade. If you prefer a medium-sized plant, you can choose the Thread Agave; it can grow up to 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

4. Agave victoria-reginae – It is also known as Queen Victoria Agave. It is a smaller plant, making it perfect for pots or containers as it only grows about a foot up to 18 inches in height. Its leaves have black tips and it is curved inward which creates a compact dome. This plant can live up to 20 to 30 years and can produce lovely cream or reddish-purple flowers on a fifteen-foot stalk.

5. Agave parviflora – It is also known as the Small Flower Agave, Small Flower Century Plant, or Santa Cruz Striped agave. This plant is a small variety of agave; it can grow up to 6-8 inches tall. It is also similar to the Agave filifera because its leaves have white graphic markings with beautiful hair filaments. This plant produces a flower stalk after 6-8 years that can reach up to 3-7 feet high and blooms cream or yellow flowers that are quite attractive to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

6. Agave bracteosa – It is also known as Squid Agave or Candalebrum Agave. It is a drought-tolerant, slow-growing agave plant. It can be used as a potted specimen and be added to your rock garden.

7. Agave vilmoriniana – It is also known as Octopus Agave. It has untoothed arching and twisting leaves. Its rosettes can grow up to 3-4 feet tall and 5-6 feet in width. This plant is considered as one of the friendlier Agave varieties because it has soft serrations on the margins of the leaf and it has a soft terminal spine.

8. Agave tequilana azul – It is also known as Weber’s Blue Agave, Tequila Agave, or Blue Agave. It is commonly used to make tequila in Jalisco, Mexico. It is a beautiful garden plant and it can grow up to 6 feet tall and blooms in 6 to 8 years with a 15 feet spike with yellow flowers.

This plant can be used in landscapes for areas found in high altitudes. The Blue Agave prefers rich, well-draining sandy soil. It can grow quite huge and can live up to several decades, so you must grow it if you are ready for a long-term commitment.

9. Agave parryi – It is also known as the Artichoke Agave. It is a lovely plant and it has sharp black spears tip on the end of its wide bluish gray-green leaves. It can grow even in rocky and dry slopes. This plant loves full sunlight and can be planted in pots or containers.

10. Agave desmettiana – It is also known as the Smooth Agave. If you prefer people and pet-friendly agave, this one is perfect for you. It can be used as a focal plant in xeriscapes or desert gardens.
You can also plant the Smooth Agave near patios, whether as a single specimen plant or placed in groups. This succulent produces its pups from basal offshoots, making it easy to propagate; you can easily repot the pups in new containers.

11. Agave lophantha – It is also known as a Quadricolor Agave. This plant has dark green leaves with yellow stripes, pale green midstripe with reddish edges lining the teeth. It grows slowly and takes a long time to grow in their containers.

12. Agave macroacantha – It is also known as the Large-thorned Agave or Black-Spined Agave. This plant has medium-sized rosettes and blue-gray narrow leaves. It has sharp 1-inch black terminal spines on the tips. It produces offsets and blooms tiny purplish-green flowers and prefers full sun exposure.

13. Agave geminiflora – It is also known as Twin Flower Agave and Agave Palito. This plant has hundreds of leaves that form a well-rounded compact rosette that grows up to 3 feet tall. It takes up to 10 to 15 years for the plants to mature. It produces a beautiful flower spike that grows up to 8 to
12 feet tall. Its flowers grow in pairs hence the name Twin Flower Agave. This variety of agave is monocarpic, it dies after it blooms flowers. Plants grown indoors do not bloom flowers.

14. Agave potatorum – It is also known as Butterfly Agave. This succulent’s leaves resemble a butterflies’ wings. It is a medium-sized agave that grows slowly so you can plant it in pots or containers. If grown in a container, the butterfly agave is easy to control.

15. Agave angustifolia – It is also known as Caribbean Agave. This plant has narrow leaves and forms a rosette; it is a variegated Century Plant and grows up to 4 feet tall and wide. It has pale green leaves with cream-colored margins.

It is stiff and has dangerous, sharp spines on the tips. Be careful when growing this succulent as it is quite painful when the spines prick your skin. Its flower stalk produces small plantlets that can be replanted. It is quite fragrant and tends to attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators.

16. Agave bovicornuta – It is also known as Cowhorn Agave. This plant has glossy leaves that widens and resembles a spatula with spiny red tips. The Cowhorn Agave grows up to 3 feet in height and 4 feet in width.

17. Agave salmiana – It is also known as Ferocious Agave. It has well-armed spines on the edges of its leaves and a stout stinger on the tips. It grows up to 4 feet in height and 3 feet in width. It can withstand cool weather but must remain dry during the wintertime.

Flowers – When the agave plants become mature, they produce a tall, flower-stalk that grows from the center of the plant. The flowers are like bells and last long, usually in shades of yellow, green, or white. Agave plants are monocarpic when they bloom flowers, they die. No need to worry though, as it produces plenty of offsets or pups that can take the place of the parent plant.

The leaves of the plant are edible and can be used as an addition to salads; they can also be stir-fried or steamed just like the other vegetable dishes. It is deer-resistant so you don’t have to worry about your Delosperma plants be eaten by wild deer in your backyard or garden.

1. Cooper’s ice plant (Its scientific name is Delosperma cooperi) – This is the most common variety, it is also known as the purple ice plant. It is the first variety of the delosperma succulents that were introduced in the United States.

2. Delosperma Lavender Ice – A long live delosperma variety that produces pinkish-lavender flowers. It can be mixed with “Blut” because they both have deep purple foliage. This plant is developed by Perennial Favorites Nurseries Of Rye CO.

3. Hardy white (Delosperma herbeau) – This plant has white flowers that have exceptional beauty.

4. Blut (Delosperma ashtonii) – It is a long-blooming delosperma variety discovered in Arvada CO by Kelly Grummons. It has dark-green foliage and blooms flowers that are deep magenta. This plant’s foliage transitions into deep purple when the climate becomes cold. This plant is drought and cold-resistant making it a perfect choice for individuals who live in hot and dry climates.

5. Hardy yellow – (Delosperma brunnthaleri) – This plant produces beautiful yellow flowers.

6. Starburst (Delosperma floribundum) – This plant blooms pink flowers with a white center.

7. Lesotho Pink (Delosperma sp) – This plant has bright-green leaves and blooms pink flowers during early spring. This plant is native to the mountains of South Africa and can thrive in areas with higher elevations that have colder climates.

8. Alan’s Apricot (Ice plant Delosperma) – This plant is a hybrid, it is a variety of ice plant that has been developed by Alan Tower and has been available since 2016. This plant is extremely cold-hardy, it blooms bi-colored pink/apricot flowers during the summer months.

9. Red Mountain® Flame (Delosperma dyeri) – David Salman, a horticulturist, discovered it. This plant is an accidental hybrid that blooms reddish-orange flowers during springtime. This plant thrives well in very hot and dry regions. The Red Mountain® Flame is very cold hardy to zone 6.

10. Delosperma Fire Spinner® – This plant blooms flowers that have bright orange and deep purple colors. It blooms flowers during late spring. This succulent does not thrive in areas that have warm winters, it prefers cold weather and it is best to plant in areas that belong in the USDA Zones 5-8.

4. Delosperma succulents love gravel mulch, they tend to grow best when the stems grow over the top of the gravel, and this allows the roots to stay moist and the leaves and stems dry. You can also use fast-drying mulch materials like bark chips with medium texture or pine needles. You can allow them to dry out during the fall by stopping their irrigation so they can shrink down and harden before the wintertime comes. Actively growing delosperma plants are usually killed during the first hard frost.

5. During mid-spring, you must prune out any stems that are damaged in wintertime.

6. Use fertilizers during fall, you can use organic fertilizers. Ice plants can be prone to be killed during winter when it is fertilized frequently during the active season, they will keep growing during fall and they are prone to die during the wintertime.

7. Plant the delosperma succulents with 15-18 inches apart, but they can be closer if you have smaller rock garden varieties. You can place a little compost on each planting hole as well.

Warning: If you will plant your delosperma succulents in poor, dry soil they can spread rapidly and can become out of hand. They tend to grow aggressively and become an invasive plant in your garden.

Delosperma plants do well as landscaping plants along road embankments in areas with temperate climates. They can be used to control erosion. They can become invasive plants and affect other plants in your garden.

Get your Delosperma succulent cuttings here.

Seeds – Planting the delosperma succulent is easy to do.

Get your Delosperma succulent seeds here.

1. Water the ice plants after planting them. This way you can remove air pockets and allow the soil to settle on the roots of the plants. If there are pockets of air around the roots, this can cause them to dry out and die.

2. Water the ice plant with 1 inch of water every week. Do this during the first few months after planting them.

3. Use a watering can, soaker hose, or sprinkler. If you will be using a soaker hose or sprinkler you can set a 1-inch deep can next to the plant, turn off the sprinkler or hose when the can is full of water.

4. Reduce your watering regimen after the first few months of planting the delosperma succulent. It will not need supplemental water to survive after the first couple of months. The plants will begin to look a little rough; the leaves will turn yellow or brown and become withered. Give them 1 to 2 inches of water every 3 to 4 weeks to allow them to grow properly.

5. Do not water your Ice plants during wintertime. Cold wet soil can cause root rot and they can die from it.

6. Give fertilizer during springtime when they are actively growing. Use a balanced fertilizer, you can use 10-10-10 or 8-8-8.

7. Use 4 oz. of fertilizer for every 25 sq. feet of garden space. Sprinkle the fertilizer on the ground around the plants; be careful not to get any on the plants, as it can burn the leaves and stems of the Ice plants.

If you accidentally get any fertilizer on the plants, wash it with clean water. After spreading the fertilizer in the ground, you can water the plants so it can spread into the soil.

Both aphids and mealybugs can be troublesome to your ice plants because they suck the juices from the plant and they can cause slow growth and yellow leaves can drop and this can kill your plants.

If you need more information about common pests and diseases of succulents, make sure to check our website.

Delosperma succulents are an excellent addition to any landscape or garden setting. Its foliage and flowers will help brighten your outdoor garden. It can also be used as ground covers or in areas with sandy seaside areas. You can use the delosperma succulent as an edger plant or you can also plant them in window boxes. This plant can also be used in rock gardens or as a trailing plant in containers. If you have xeriscapes, you can add your delosperma succulents on it as they can withstand drought and harsh climates.

Get your delosperma succulents here or here.

Are you planning to grow and care for Delosperma succulents? If you need more information about succulents and how to take care of them properly, Eden Succulents is the perfect place for you! We can teach you all the things about succulents.

If you need guides and other information please visit our website for more information. You can get all types of information so you can be successful in growing succulents at home. If this is your first time grow succulents, let us know any of your concerns, questions, or inquiries, we will do our best to help you out!