Agave palmeri
A drought-tolerant, rosette-forming agave with a tall flowering stalk that dies after blooming and often forms offsets, native to the arid southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Common Names
Palmer's Agave, Palmer Agave, Palmer's Century Plant, Palmer Century Plant
Summary
Palmer's agave is a monocarpic, stemless succulent native to southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, Sonora, and Chihuahua, forming a large solitary rosette with glaucous blue-green leaves 35–75 cm long and 7–10 cm wide at the base; the rosette reaches 50–120 cm tall and 100–120 cm in diameter, with margins armed with teeth and a long terminal spine. After several years, a flowering stalk 3–6.5 m tall bears pale yellow-green flowers, and the rosette dies after flowering, often producing offsets at the base; it grows in dry, rocky slopes in oak woodlands and grassy plains at elevations of 900–2,200 m.
In cultivation, full sun and well-drained soils are preferred; drought-tolerant with low water needs, allowing soil to dry completely between waterings, tolerating a wide range of soils; hardy to about −12°C (10°F) and typically grown in USDA zones 7b–11; propagation by seeds or offsets. Uses include ornamental in drought-tolerant landscapes and containers, with edible central core when roasted and mezcal production from stems, plus fiber from leaves; it attracts nectar for hummingbirds and bats, and serves as habitat for pollinators; pests include agave snout weevil, scale, and mealybugs; caution due to spines.
Lifecycle
Perennial (monocarpic; dies after flowering; offsets continue)
Height
5-6 ft
Spread
2.5-4.5 ft
Hardiness Zones
Zones 7-11
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun; tolerates partial sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
6.0–7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Bloom Color
Yellow
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Blue-green
Fall Foliage Color
Green, sometimes pale to glaucous green with red tinges
Leaf Lifecycle
Evergreen broadleaf
Growth Rate
Slow-growing.
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Offsets, Bulbils, Division, Cuttings
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators, birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Engelm.
- Publication
- Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 3: 319 (1875)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asparagales
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Genus
- Agave