Light: Full sun to light shade; afternoon shade can reduce scorching in Phoenix’s intense summer heat. Acclimate nursery-grown plants gradually to direct sun.
Water: Low water once established. Water deeply but infrequently during hot weather, allowing soil to dry thoroughly between waterings. Reduce watering substantially in winter; avoid wetting the crown.
Soil: Very well-drained sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil. Tolerates poor and alkaline soils; use raised planting areas where drainage is slow.
Mature size: Approximately 5–7 feet tall and 6–10 feet wide per rosette; colonies spread farther. Flower stalks can reach 15–25 feet tall.
Bloom: Blooms once at maturity, often after approximately 8–15 years, depending on conditions. The flowering rosette dies afterward, leaving offsets and often plantlets on the flower stalk.
Evergreen / deciduous: Evergreen.
Growth rate: Moderate to relatively fast for an agave in warm weather with occasional irrigation.