Pronounciation: A-GA-ve bo-vi-cor-KNEW-ta

Hardiness zones
Sunset 11-24
USDA 8-11

Landscape Use: Strong textural accent or focal point, barrier plant for partially-shaded sites in oasis portions of xeric and desert gardens, and oasis, mixed landscape design themes.

Form & Character: Upright, rigid, erect, stout, imposing, unique combination of 'green' and arid.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, succulent and fibrous perennial, monocarpic, slow rowth rate to 2- to 4-feet tall with equal spread, quite variable in final size, solitary, non clumping.

Foliage/Texture: Flattened, strap-shaped succulent green leaves, sometimes curved or reflexed, leaf margins toothed with somewhat horny, red spines, foliage tapering to a sharp terminal spine, 1- to 3-feet long and 10-inches wide, leaves in a rosette pattern; very coarse texture.

A special warning: Like other agaves, cow horn agave leaf tips are dangerously rigid and sharp and can cause injury to humans and inflatible sports balls.

Flowers & Fruits: Cow horn agave has greenish-yellow flowers on 12- to 20-feet tall, branched stalks at about 15 years of age. Individual flowers are upright with a tubular geen lower section, above which are 6 tepals (lacking separate petals and sepals), tepals are yellow; fruits are about 2-inches long, green when immature ripening to grayish brown, disc-like seeds are black in color.

Seasonal Color: None, unless one's favorite color is green or one waits around for 15 years until the plant flowers. As the plant flowers and begins to die (monocarpic), leaves sometimes redden and fold together like a taco.

Temperature: No temperature issues in Phoenix. Heat tolerant, and very cold tolerant to 10^oF.

Light: Partial to full shade in Phoenix is necessary (this can cause leaves of specimens to elongate and become reflexed), avoid western summer sun and western exposures.

Soil: Well-drained soils are best.

Watering: Cow horn agave requires infrequent supplemental water during the summer in Phoenix, especially during years when summer monsoon rains are deficient.

Pruning: For safety reasons some may consider pruning off the pointed and stiff 'dagger-like' leaf apexes.

Propagation: Seed, tissue culture.

Disease and Pests: Root rot if soil is wet.

Additional comments: In Phoenix, cow horn agave is a striking and out of the ordinary 'green' agave for small to medium spaces that offer some protection from the intense western summer sun. The selections 'Divine Bovine', ‘Holstein’, and var. reggae time have variegated yellow foliage and must be grown in the shade in Phoenix. The indigenuous Mayahuel peoples of northern Mexico have used cow horn agave for many purposes including food, drink and fiber.

Taxonomic tidbits: Indigenuous populations of cow horn agave are listed as stable, yet vulnerable by the IUCN. The species name bovicornuta refers to the 'horns of cattle' on the leaf margins.