Hardiness zones
Sunset 13 (with protection), 20-24
USDA 9 (with protection), 10-11
Landscape Use: Accent plant in entryways and atriums in Phoenix where protection for full exposure to the outdoor elements is provided, under shade of trees, poolside agave, very nice container plant.
Form & Character: Evergreen perennial, succulent, vigorously rosetting, soft, tropical.
Growth Habit: Clumps vigorously to 5' in height with equal spread.
Foliage/texture: Stiff but people friendly broad soft leaves with an
entire margin, succulent, grey green, leaves taper to flexible point (not rigid
as with other agaves); medium coarse texture.
Flowers & fruits: Produces a tall 'foxtail' like complex flower structure
Seasonal color: None
Temperature: Foxtail agave is quite sensitive to temperatures below 50oF, frost and freeze intolerant.
Light: Mostly to full shade in Phoenix to full sun in southern California
and south Florida and Hawaii.
Soil: Tolerant of all soil textures as long as the soil is well drained. This agave is moderately salt tolerant.
Watering: Infrequently regular supplemental water is best in Phoenix,
otherwise only very little to no supplemental water is needed in southern California.
Supplemental water increases growth rate.
Pruning: None required, except to remove basal offshoots
Propagation: Division of basal offshoots
Disease and pests: Agave
weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus) will attack several agave species in the low desert of Arizona.
Additional comments: This is a very handsome small to intermediate
agave that requires full protection in Phoenix in order to survive because of it's sensitivity to local extremes of heat and cold. There are several named cultivars that are outstanding - I would seek them out if I lived along the Pacific coast in Santa Barbara, California, where this agave thrives. They include: 'Kara's Stripes' PP#19,444 (patented, wide yellow leaves edged with green margins), 'Nova' (glaucous foliage), and 'Raea's Gold' (bright yellow to chartreuse foliage depending on light intensity).