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Shaw's Agave
Agave shawii · Asparagaceae (Agavoideae)
Also called: Coastal Agave, Coast Agave, Shaw Agave
Shaw's Agave (Agave shawii) is a low-water accent well suited to Tucson and the low desert.
Shaw's Agave at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun in coastal/mild settings; in the Tucson low desert give afternoon shade or bright filtered light to reduce summer leaf scorch.
- Mature size
- 18-30 in H x 24-40 in W (rosette); flower stalk 7-12 ft H
- Growth rate
- Slow to moderate; offsets to form clumps and reaches blooming size in about 20-40 years.
- Bloom
- Yellow to reddish/pinkish in bud, opening to yellow-green, Late winter to spring (roughly February-May) on mature rosettes; the rosette is monocarpic.
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to roughly 20-25 F (USDA zones 9-11); a coastal species less cold-hardy and less heat-adapted than Sonoran natives.
- Soil
- Sharply drained sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil; intolerant of poor drainage and prolonged wetness. Tolerates some salinity given its coastal origin.
- Native range
- Native to the Pacific coast and adjacent desert of far southern California (San Diego County) and Baja California, Mexico. Subsp. goldmaniana extends into the Baja California desert. Not native to Arizona or the Sonoran Desert of Arizona.
- Best used as
- Specimen/accent plant, Rock garden and xeriscape focal point, Clumping mass plantings, Container culture
- Wildlife
- Flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds, bats, and native bees and other insects.
- Toxicity
- Sap (saponins/oxalates) irritates skin and is toxic if ingested by pets; stout terminal spine and marginal teeth can cause puncture injury—keep away from walkways.
How to grow Shaw's Agave in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Once established, deep watering every 3-4 weeks in summer and rarely in winter is sufficient. In Tucson it appreciates slightly more shade and a bit more summer moisture than local desert agaves but must never sit wet.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Not needed in landscape soil. An optional light application of slow-release low-nitrogen fertilizer in spring is the most it requires; avoid heavy feeding.
Pruning & care
Remove only dead or damaged leaves and spent flower stalks. The rosette is monocarpic and dies after flowering but the clump persists through offsets.
Notes
A handsome clumping agave with broad, dark green, white bud-imprinted leaves edged with prominent reddish-brown marginal teeth and a sharp terminal spine. Increasingly rare in the wild in California. In Tucson it is best treated as a tender coastal specimen needing afternoon shade; it is not an Arizona native.
Sources: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (Genus Agave); Plants of the World Online (Kew); AMWUA 'Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert'; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension