Succulents & Agaves for Arizona

Agaves, aloes, and desert succulents for Arizona — bold form, low water, and full-sun toughness.

20 plants · every one a full care + fact page

succulent

Cow's Horn Agave

Agave bovicornuta

A glossy green agave with striking decorative marginal teeth that catch the light like stained glass.

Very Low Waterpartial shade

succulent

Smooth Agave

Agave desmettiana

A fast-growing agave with a perfectly symmetrical rosette that brings effortless elegance to modern desert gardens.

Very Low Waterfull sun

succulent

Mescal Ceniza

Agave colorata

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

Very Low Waterfull sun

succulent

Twin-Flowered Agave

Agave geminiflora

A fast-growing agave with hundreds of slender, smooth-edged leaves radiating in a perfect dense sphere.

Very Low Waterfull sun

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

succulent

Weber's Agave

Agave weberi

A soft-tipped agave that attracts hummingbirds to its towering flower spike and offers winter color interest.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Octopus Agave

Agave vilmoriniana

A fast-growing, spineless agave with gracefully arching leaves that twist and curl like octopus tentacles.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Dawe's Aloe

Aloe dawei

A bold, large-scale aloe that commands attention with its impressive rosette and cheerful yellow flower spikes.

Very Low Waterpartial shade

succulent

Cape Aloe

Aloe ferox

A towering South African aloe whose fiery orange-red winter blooms draw hummingbirds and create a lush oasis feel.

Very Low Waterfull sun

succulent

Medicinal Aloe

Aloe vera

The classic healing aloe whose soothing gel has been used for centuries, while its blooms support bees and butterflies.

Very Low Waterpartial shadePool Safe

succulent

Yellow Bulbine

Bulbine frutescens

A low-growing succulent ground cover with cheerful yellow flower spikes that attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Candelilla

Euphorbia antisyphilitica

A waxy-stemmed Chihuahuan native with delicate pink-white blooms, historically harvested for its natural candle wax.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Slipper Flower

Euphorbia lomelii

A quirky succulent bearing tiny red slipper-shaped flowers that hummingbirds love to visit.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Blue Euphorbia

Euphorbia rigida

A blue-gray Mediterranean succulent that lights up winter gardens with bright chartreuse flower clusters.

Very Low Waterpartial shadePool Safe

succulent

Firestick

Euphorbia tirucalli

A pencil-branched succulent that transforms from green to blazing orange-red in winter, but beware its highly toxic sap.

Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Giant Hesperaloe

Hesperaloe funifera

A statuesque hesperaloe that sends up towering flower spikes attracting bees by day and nocturnal pollinators by night.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

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

succulent

Partridge Breast Aloe

Gonialoe variegata

A diminutive variegated aloe with striking banded leaves that thrives in containers and tight garden spaces.

Very Low Waterpartial shadePool Safe

succulent

Elephant's Food

Portulacaria afra

A dense, shrubby South African succulent with tiny round leaves that makes an excellent informal hedge or security barrier.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Native

Century Plant

Agave americana

Bold architectural succulent that makes a dramatic statement in any landscape.

Very Low Waterfull sun