Coastal Agave, Agave shawii

About Coastal Agave (Agave shawii) 16 Nurseries Carry This Plant

Add to My Plant List

Agave shawii is an agave found only along the Pacific coast of Baja California, extending slightly north into the coastal chaparral of southernmost California. It is a small-to-medium agave, with green ovate leaves 20-50 centimeter long and 8-20 centimeter wide, and a variable pattern of marginal teeth. Individual rosettes flower after 20-30 years of growth, after which that rosette dies. The flower cluster forms a panicle 2-4 meters in height, whose 8-14 lateral umbels are subtended by large purple leaves. Each umbel consists of a mass of yellowish or reddish flowers. It produces numerous offsets or pups which form a large thicket.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub, Succulent

Size

6.6 - 13.1 ft tall
3 ft wide

Form

Fountain, Spreading

Growth Rate

Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Flower Color

Yellow, Red

Flowering Season

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

Wildlife Supported

The plant attracts wildlife primarily when in bloom which is infrequent for individual rosettes. It is most attractive to insects and nectar eating birds. In the wild, small mammals use agave thickets for protection.
Butterfly host plants

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed

, 1 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Batrachedra striolataBatrachedra striolata

California Giant-Skipper Agathymus stephensiAgathymus stephensi

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Never irrigate once established

Nurseries

Carried by 16

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 25° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Often rocky and low in organic material. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Companion Plants

California Encelia, Bushrue, Chamise, Cliff Spurge, Box Thorn, San Diego Bursage, Jojoba, Sea Dahlia, and various Cacti

Maintenance

None needed. Prune only when necessary, and use extreme caution. Avoid all skin contact with the sap. Handle leaves with care - spines are very sharp.

Propagation?

May be propagated from offsets, but extreme caution is needed due to the dangerous spines.. For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Natural Setting

Site Type

Bluffs and slopes or rocky mesas; produces many offsets and tends to spread laterally; can form large, impenetrable patches

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 9.5" - 11.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.18" - 0.31", Coldest Month: 54.1" - 56.5", Hottest Month: 69.3" - 72.8", Humidity: 1.82" - 14.67", Elevation: 0" - 314"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Shaw's Agave

Print Plant Sign Print Plant Label

Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Coastal Agave

Agave shawii

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Coastal AgaveAgave shawii

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Coastal Agave

Agave shawii