Parry’s agave

Agave parryi

Family:: Asparagaceae
Elevation:: 4,000 ft – 8,000 ft
Bloom:: Jun – Aug
Region:: Southwest

A tight, almost geometric rosette of chalky blue-gray leaves edged with dark teeth and tipped by a single black spine. One of the most cold-hardy agaves — native to the mountains of the Southwest — and a sculptural anchor for high-desert gardens.

Care · tuned to the Southwest

Water

Essentially none once established. A deep soak monthly through the first summer to root it, then rely on rainfall. Standing water or winter irrigation rots the crown.

Sun & exposure

Full sun. Takes reflected heat off south and west walls without scorching.

Soil

Sharp, gritty, alkaline drainage — decomposed granite or gravel over a mound. Never a low spot that collects runoff.

In the Southwest

Unusually cold-hardy (roughly −20 °F), so it thrives where most agaves freeze out. Monocarpic: after 15–25 years it throws a 10–15 ft asparagus-like flower stalk once, then the rosette dies — but it leaves a ring of pups behind. Wear gloves; the terminal spines are vicious.

Common problems & fixes

Agave snout weevil — grubs bore the crown and the rosette suddenly collapses, often in early summer
Fix — Remove and destroy infested plants and apply a preventive systemic soil drench to healthy plants in spring.
Crown and root rot from overwatering — mushy base and collapse, worst in clay or irrigated beds
Fix — Plant in gritty, fast-draining soil, water sparingly, and keep the crown dry.

Pets & toxicity

Sap contains saponins and calcium oxalate that can irritate skin and cause drooling or vomiting if chewed. The spine-tipped leaves are the bigger hazard to pets.

Easy to confuse with

New Mexico agave (Agave neomexicana) — narrower leaves, closely related
Century plant (Agave americana) — much larger, greener, not as cold-hardy

Sources

Think you're looking at one?

Snap a photo and we'll rank the candidates against the local flora — honestly, and for free.

Identify a plant