Smooth Agave
Agave desmettiana
A fast-growing agave with a perfectly symmetrical rosette that brings effortless elegance to modern desert gardens.
Frost sensitive, hardy to about 28°F, USDA 9-11; a tender low-desert agave.
AMWUA Notes
Fast-growing, low-water agave that pups freely for easy propagation.
Care Guide
Water every 2 weeks in summer while young, tapering to monthly once established; sharp drainage prevents rot.
Remove withered lower leaves; monocarpic, so pull the parent after it flowers and keep the abundant offsets (pups).
Optional light spring feeding speeds this already fast grower.
Agave snout weevil is the main pest; treat with a preventive soil drench and remove any mushy, toppling plants.
Smooth-margined but frost-tender; leaves burn below 28°F, so protect in cold snaps.
Soil, Feeding & Propagation
Fast-draining mineral soil or decomposed granite; low organic matter
Needs sharp, fast-draining soil.
Low feeder.
Offsets (pups), produced freely
3 ft
Shallow, non-invasive roots; smooth margins are path-safer but the terminal spine is still sharp
Placement Tips
- •Excellent in containers or modern mass plantings.
- •Smooth margins make it safer near paths than toothed agaves, though the tip is still sharp.
- •Give it 3 ft of room.
- •Plant in fast-draining soil.
Features
Best Uses
Companion Plants
Quick Stats
Design Styles
Include in Your Project
Love Smooth Agave? Our landscape team sources from wholesale nurseries and can incorporate it into your design.
Talk to a Dream BuilderGet a Project EstimateAlready a Client?
Use this care guide to maintain your Smooth Agave. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.
Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.