New Mexico agave, a tight blue-grey rosette with dark teeth and spines in gravel among boulders

Agave Neo Mexicana

Agave neomexicana
Categories:
Cacti & Succulents  ·  
Agave
Light
Full sun
Water
Low water once established. Water deeply but infrequently, allowing soil to dry thoroughly between waterings. Occasional supplemental summer irrigation helps during prolonged Phoenix heat; keep nearly dry in winter.
Size
2-3 ft tall × 3-4 ft wide
Habit
Rosette succulent – clumping
Toxicity
Sap / Skin Irritant
Description
A compact agave native to New Mexico and western Texas, with stiff, blue-gray leaves edged in dark teeth and tipped with sharp terminal spines. Also classified as Agave parryi subsp. neomexicana.
Bloom Time
Late spring to early summer; monocarpic (blooms once at maturity)
Deciduous / Evergreen
Evergreen
Special Features
Architectural Form, Colorful Foliage, Drought Tolerant, Reflected Heat Tolerant
Growth Rate
Slow
Growth Habit
Rosette succulent – clumping
Mature Size
2-3 ft tall × 3-4 ft wide
Flower Color
Yellow
Foliage Color
Gray-green
Landscape Use
Border / Bed, Cactus / Succulent Garden, Container / Patio, Desert / Xeriscape
Garden Style
Container / Patio, Desert / Xeriscape
Soil
Sandy / Rocky, Well-Drained
Companion Plants
Blackfoot daisy, Desert spoon, Golden barrel cactus, Red yucca, Santa Rita prickly pear
Sap / Skin Irritant
Sap is a skin/eye irritant.
Care Instructions

Light: Full sun to light shade; afternoon shade is beneficial in Phoenix, especially near heat-reflecting walls or pavement.

Water: Low water once established. Water deeply but infrequently, allowing soil to dry thoroughly between waterings. Occasional supplemental summer irrigation helps during prolonged Phoenix heat; keep nearly dry in winter.

Soil: Very well-drained, gravelly or sandy soil. Plant on a raised mound if drainage is poor, and keep the crown above surrounding soil.

Mature size: Typically 1–2 feet tall and 2–3 feet wide per rosette; offsetting colonies become wider.

Bloom: Blooms once at maturity, usually after several decades. The flowering rosette dies afterward, but established offsets can continue growing.

Evergreen / deciduous: Evergreen.

Growth rate: Slow.