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ROC #343460

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Mescal Ceniza

Name: Mescal Ceniza
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Agave colorata

A compact blue-gray agave with beautifully banded leaves that add intricate texture to desert compositions.

Fairly cold hardy to around 20°F, USDA 9-11; suited to low and mid desert.

AMWUA Notes

Drought tolerant banded agave needing minimal irrigation.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Water monthly in summer once established; keep dry in winter and provide excellent drainage.

✂️Pruning

Remove spent lower leaves; monocarpic, so remove the parent after bloom and retain offsets.

🌱Fertilizing

Not necessary in lean soil.

🛡️Pests

Watch for agave snout weevil; a spring soil drench prevents infestation.

☀️Seasonal Notes

One of the more cold-hardy agaves, but tips can scorch in hard frost; the banded blue-gray leaves color best in full sun.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Gritty, fast-draining mineral soil or decomposed granite; lean

💧Drainage

Needs sharp, fast-draining soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

None — thrives in lean desert soil without fertilizer.

🌰Propagation

Offsets (pups)

📐Spacing

3 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Shallow, non-invasive roots; keep the terminal spine off walkways

Placement Tips

•Showcase as a compact specimen or in containers where the banding shows.
•Keep the terminal spine off walkways.
•Plant in gritty, fast-draining soil.
•Allow for the 3 ft spread.

Features

Banded leaf patternBlue-gray coloringCompact rosetteWinter bloomer

Best Uses

SpecimenContainerRock garden

Companion Plants

succulent

Native

Parry's Agave

Agave parryi

A compact native agave with tightly packed blue-gray leaves forming one of the most decorative rosettes in the desert.

Very Low Waterfull sun

cactus

Golden Barrel

Echinocactus grusonii

A beloved golden-spined globe cactus that looks stunning planted in clusters among desert boulders.

Low Waterfull sun

succulent

Red Yucca

Hesperaloe parviflora

One of the toughest and most rewarding desert plants, sending up arching coral-red flower spikes that hummingbirds adore.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

accent

Native

Desert Spoon

Dasylirion wheeleri

An exceptional native specimen with a dense sphere of blue-gray leaves and a towering summer flower spike.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

Quick Stats

Water NeedsVery Low (Xeric)

Sun Exposurefull sun

Mature Size3 ft H × 3 ft W

Growth Rateslow

Maintenancelow

HardinessUSDA 9-11

FoliageEvergreen

Drainagesharp, fast-draining

Bloom SeasonWinter

Bloom ColorYellow

Litter Levellow

Thornssmall

Native RegionSouthern Sonora and Northern Sinaloa

Design Styles

desert modern

Include in Your Project

Love Mescal Ceniza? Our landscape team sources from wholesale nurseries and can incorporate it into your design.

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Use this care guide to maintain your Mescal Ceniza. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.

Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.