SafePlants

Considerations for Pets

• Agave parryi features stiff leaves with marginal teeth and red to pink spines, potentially posing a risk of injury.

Considerations for Children

• The plant's rigid leaves and spiny tips could present a physical hazard.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Agave parryi Engelm.
• Family: Agavaceae
• Common Names: Parry's agave, mescal agave, Parry agave, Century plant, Parry's Century Plant
• Synonyms: Agave chihuahuana, Agave scabra
• Subordinate Taxa:
  • Agave parryi subsp. parryi
  • Agave parryi subsp. neomexicana
  • Agave parryi var. parryi
  • Agave parryi var. huachucensis
  • Agave parryi var. truncata

Distribution and Habitat

Agave parryi is native to the Southwest, including Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. It thrives in grasslands, chaparral, desert scrub, and pinyon-juniper environments, often found at higher elevations.

Morphology and Growth Habits

• Agave parryi is a rosette-forming perennial succulent with a slow growth rate.
• It typically reaches a size of about 2 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide.
• The leaves are typically blue-gray to blue-green and incurving, arranged in a symmetrical rosette.
• The plant is evergreen and hardy to zone 8 (UK). Some forms are cold hardy to zone 5 with proper protection and dry winter conditions.
• Aged agave produce a 15 to 20-foot stalk with bright yellow blooms.

Quirky Facts

• Agave parryi is sometimes called the "century plant" because it was once believed to bloom only after 100 years.
• The plant is prized for its "sculptural beauty and character" in desert landscapes.
• It has culinary value, though the text doesn't elaborate on this.
• The Huachuca Agave form is considered to look like a giant artichoke.