Collection: Blue Agave

Blue agave plants for sale at Everglades Farm are grown in our Homestead, Florida nursery and shipped in their pots. Blue agave (Agave tequilana, often sold as Weber blue agave, maguey or agave azul) is the succulent that tequila is made from. In a garden it grows into a large blue-green rosette that needs full sun, sandy soil and very little water once it is settled in.

Blue Agave Plants for Sale

Our Blue Agave Maguey Agave Azul Plant comes in three sizes, and all three are in stock today.

• 12 to 18 inches in a 1-gallon pot. A good size for a container on a patio or for planting several plants in a row.
• 2 to 3 feet in a 3-gallon pot. Big enough to plant straight into the yard as a single specimen.
• 4 feet in a 7-gallon pot. A mature-looking rosette that fills a bed from the first day.

Every blue agave plant ships with its root ball intact in the nursery pot. Plant it within a few days of arrival, or keep it in full sun and let the pot dry out between waterings until you are ready.

Blue Agave Plant Characteristics

The physical characteristics of a blue agave plant are easy to spot: a large, symmetrical rosette of long blue-green leaves on a very short trunk. Blue agave is a true species, not a hybrid, and it is the only agave allowed in tequila under Mexican law.

Blue-green leaves and rosette shape

Blue agave is an evergreen succulent, so it keeps its leaves all year. The narrow blue-green leaves are stiff and fleshy, edged with small teeth and ending in a hard, sharp spine. They grow out from the center in a tight rosette shape, and that symmetry is what makes the plant such a strong focal point in a bed.

Growth rate

The growth rate of blue agave is moderate. A young plant in full sun adds a few new leaves each growing season, and the rosette gets noticeably wider every year. Plants in shade or in wet soil grow much more slowly.

Mature size

The mature size of a blue agave plant in the ground is about 5 to 8 feet tall and just as wide. It reaches that size in several years. Give it room when you plant, because the leaves reach out in every direction.

Bloom season and flower color

Blue agave has no yearly bloom season. A rosette blooms only once in its life, when it is mature, and the flower color is yellow to greenish yellow. Until then the plant is grown for its leaves: a drought-tolerant, blue-green rosette with near perfect symmetry that looks good in full sun all year.

The flower stalk and the end of the rosette

Blue agave is a monocarpic plant, meaning each rosette blooms once and then dies. After about 5 to 10 years, the plant sends up a tall flower stalk, often 15 to 20 feet, topped with branches of yellow flowers. The rosette fades after the bloom, but by then it has usually made offsets or pups around its base, and those keep growing in its place.

Blue Agave Hardiness Zones and Climate

Blue agave plants grow outdoors year round in USDA zones 9-11. UF/IFAS lists agave for zones 9A to 11A in Florida, with full sun and well-drained sandy soil. That covers southern Florida, the Gulf Coast of Florida and Texas, the low deserts of Arizona, coastal Southern California and Hawaii.

Heat, humidity and cold

Blue agave is drought tolerant and handles extreme heat well. Humid climates are fine too, as long as the roots never sit in wet soil. In South Florida, where summer rain can be heavy, plant it on a low mound or raised bed so water runs away from the crown. Zone 9 winters can drop into the 20s °F. A short cold snap is usually survivable, but a hard freeze can scar the leaves, so cover young plants on frost nights.

Outdoor cultivation or an indoor plant

Outdoor cultivation in full sun is where blue agave grows best. North of zone 9, grow it in a container and keep it outside from spring to fall, then bring it in as an indoor plant for the winter. A large pot also keeps a young agave easy to move.

Blue Agave Light Requirements

A blue agave plant needs full sun, at least 6 hours of direct sunlight a day. More is better. In full sun the rosette stays tight, the leaves keep their blue color and the plant grows fastest.

Ideal placement outdoors

The ideal placement for a blue agave plant outdoors is the sunniest open spot in the yard, away from tall trees and the shady side of the house. A south- or west-facing slope or bed is perfect. Keep it a few feet from walkways so nobody brushes the spines.

Partial shade and stretching

In partial shade, blue agave starts stretching toward the light. The leaves get longer and thinner, lean outward and turn a pale green. That pale foliage is a sign of too little light, not too little fertilizer. In the hottest inland deserts, morning sun with some afternoon shade is acceptable, but in Florida full sun all day is best.

Sunburn and leaf stress

Sunburn shows up as bleached or tan patches on the leaves. It happens when a plant that grew in shade is moved into hot sun all at once. Give a new plant a week or two of morning sun before full exposure so the leaves can adjust, and the leaf stress will pass.

Ideal placement indoors

The ideal placement for a blue agave plant indoors is a south- or west-facing window, the brightest one you have. Bright, indirect light is not enough to keep blue agave compact for long, so add a grow light for the winter months if the plant starts to lean.

Soil and Fertilizer for Blue Agave

Blue agave comes from arid conditions in western Mexico, and its soil should be fast-draining. In the ground, sandy soil works well. Like most succulents, blue agave rots in heavy soil that holds water.

The best soil for blue agave

Slightly acidic, well-drained soil is ideal, though agave also handles alkaline soil. For containers, use a specialized succulent potting mix, or blend regular potting soil with coarse sand and pumice or perlite. Natural substrates like coarse sand and gravel help the plant build a strong root system. Some growers add mycorrhizae at planting to help the roots get established.

How to fertilize a blue agave plant

Blue agave needs very little fertilizer. Feed once in spring at the start of the growing season with a balanced (5-10-5), water-soluble NPK fertilizer mixed at half strength. Do not over-fertilize. Too much nitrogen makes soft, floppy leaves that attract pests. It is hard to under-fertilize an agave, and a plant in good sun will keep its vibrant color with that one spring feeding.

Watering a Blue Agave Plant

Blue agave has high drought tolerance once established, and overwatering is the most common way to kill it. The rule is deep watering followed by full soil dryness.

How often to water blue agave

For the first few months after planting, water deeply every week or two during the growing season so the roots can spread. After that, periodic hydration is enough: a deep soak every few weeks in dry weather, and none at all when it rains. In South Florida, rainfall alone usually carries an established blue agave through summer.

Winter dormancy and root rot

Blue agave slows down in cool weather, and during that dormancy it needs almost no water. Wet soil in winter is how root rot starts. Use well-draining soil, keep good air circulation around the plant, and check that pots have drainage holes. Water the soil, not the center of the rosette, so the crown and any pups at the base stay dry.

Blue Agave Pests and Common Problems

Blue agave has few serious pests. UF/IFAS names the agave snout weevil as the main one in Florida, and lists no diseases of major concern.

Agave snout weevil, mealybugs and scale insects

The agave snout weevil lays eggs at the base of the plant, and the larvae tunnel into the core. A plant that suddenly wilts and collapses from the center often has weevils. Remove and destroy the plant so the weevils do not spread to others nearby. Mealybugs and scale insects show up as white cottony spots or small brown bumps on the leaves. Wipe them off or spray with insecticidal soap.

Fungal infections and leaf spots

Fungal infections and leaf spots on blue agave almost always come from excessive moisture. Proper watering, appropriate light levels and well-draining soil prevent most of them. Cut off badly spotted leaves at the base and let the plant dry out.

Sap, spines and toxicity

Blue agave sap contains calcium oxalate crystals and can cause skin irritation. Wear gloves and long sleeves when you trim leaves or remove pups. The spine at each leaf tip is very sharp, and many gardeners clip it off near paths. Agave is considered toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, so plant it where pets do not play.

Blue Agave Propagation Methods

Blue agave propagation means growing new plants from an existing one. The easiest method is with offsets, also called pups, that grow at the base of the plant. Tequila farms in Jalisco plant their fields from these same pups. A blooming plant also makes bulbils on its flower stalks, and seed works as well.

How to divide and replant pups

Wait until a pup is about a foot tall and has its own roots. Dig around it, cut the connecting root with a clean spade and lift it out. Let the cut end dry for a few days in the shade, then start replanting in well-draining soil at the same depth it grew before. Water once, then wait until new growth appears before watering again.

Bulbils on flower stalks

After a blue agave blooms, its flower stalks often grow small plantlets called bulbils. These can be picked and potted like pups. Seed is possible too, but it is slow, and plants from pups or bulbils grow true to the parent.

Blue Agave, Wildlife and Pollinators

When a blue agave finally blooms, its flowers feed a lot of wildlife and add biodiversity to the garden. In its native range in Mexico, bats are the main pollinators, visiting the flowers at night.

Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies

In a home garden, the tall flower stalk draws hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and other birds that come for the nectar. These multi pollinators help with the reproduction of plants nearby too. Lady bugs often patrol the leaves and eat the mealybugs and scale insects that agave can host.

Blue agave in the garden ecosystem

Because it needs almost no water, blue agave fits a water-wise garden ecosystem. Remember its toxicity to humans and pets when you choose where to plant it: keep it away from play areas and walkways. To learn more about the plant's history and its role in tequila, read Understanding Blue Agave: Origins, Uses, and Importance.