- Author: Samantha Dowdall
- Editor: Noni Todd
Foxtail Agave
By Samantha Dowdall UCCE Master Gardener
Common name: Foxtail Agave
Scientific name: Agave attenuata variegata ‘Ray of Light'
Planting areas: USDA zones 9b to 11
Bloom season: All of the nearly 300 species of agave are monocarpic, meaning they will bloom only once after many years, then die. The mother plant will leave behind offsets (“pups”) that are easily grown into beautiful new plants. This particular agave is commonly called ‘foxtail' because the tall flower spike curves such a way that resembles the tail of a fox.
Exposure: Full to part sun. This agave can become scorched in very hot weather, so some dappled light will keep your plant happiest. It is sensitive to the colder microclimates along our central coastal region. Covering your plant with frost cloth or soft sheeting at night during frosts conditions will provide good protection. It will grow quite happily in pots as well, either in a protected area outdoors or inside to wait out the storm.
Pruning needs: Damaged leaves can be removed to maintain a tidy appearance.
Water needs: Water young plants every 4-5 days to get the roots established. Mature agaves only need to be watered 2-3 times a month in the summer, unless you live in a dry, hot area.
Snapshot: Agaves are native to the arid and semiarid regions of the Americas, especially Mexico, and parts of the Caribbean. While most species have sharp, pointed tips, this agave distinguishes itself from its cousins by having tips that are soft and harmless, making it a living sculpture of beautifully shaped leaves of bright green, with light yellow or white stripes.
With plenty of room, this specimen can grow 4-6 feet tall, 6-8 feet wide. Left to its own devices, pups growing along the edges will mature and turn your plant into a very large display. Pups can be easily propagated by cutting the stems just long enough to put into well-draining soil to spread about your landscape or to give as gifts to lucky recipients. Grown in pots, agaves grow much smaller, making them ideal for spreading light and beauty around a patio.
Advice to Grow By Workshops
Our next San Luis Obispo Advice to Grow By Workshop will be January 21st, 2024. The subject will be “Fruit trees-How Winter Care Can Aid Warm Weather Success”. More information to follow.
You can view workshops on Instagram live at slo mg or visit our You Tube channel at “San Luis Obispo County UC Master Gardeners.”
Visit our website at ucanr.edu/sites/mgslo/ or email questions to anrmgslo@ucanr.edu.
UCCE Master Gardener Helpline offices:
San Luis Obispo: 805-781-5939 (Monday and Thursday 1:00 to 5:00)
Arroyo Grande: 805-473-7190 (Wednesday 10:00 to 12:00)
Templeton: 805-434-4105 (Wednesday 9:00 to 12:00)