Agave parryi

Common Names

Parry's Agave, Century Plant, Artichoke Agave, Mescal Agave, Huachuca Agave, New Mexico Agave, New Mexico Century Plant, Trailer Park Mescal, Coues Agave, Coues Century Plant, Parry's Huachuca Agave, Parry's Century Plant

Summary

Parry's Agave is an evergreen, slow-growing succulent forming a compact rosette of gray-blue leaves with spiny margins and a sharp terminal spine. Typically 2 ft tall by 2–3 ft wide, it forms dense clumps via offsets and is monocarpic, flowering once on a tall stalk up to 12–20 ft tall with yellow blooms before dying; native to Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico, it thrives in full sun and well-drained dry soils, delivering a striking architectural silhouette in xeric landscapes.

Culture emphasizes full sun and well-drained soil, preferably sandy or rocky, with drought-tolerant, low-maintenance growth once established. It is well-suited for desert landscaping, rock gardens, raised beds, and large containers; plant 1–3 ft apart for clumping, and propagate by offsets or seeds. Water during spring through fall when the soil dries, with minimal irrigation in winter; may be susceptible to scale insects.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

2-3 feet

Spread

2-3 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7-10

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun. Tolerates partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-draining soil, sandy or rocky (also loamy mixes), pH 7–8

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

7-8 (slightly alkaline)

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Summer

Foliage Color

Blue-gray to gray-green foliage

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Slow growth.

Seasons of Interest

Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division, Cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, hummingbirds, other pollinators, birds