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Native Plant Society of Texas

Havard's Century Plant

Agave havardiana

Other common name(s):

Havard Agave

Family:

Asparagaceae (Asparagus Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Leaflet Tiles © Esri — Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, iPC, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), and the GIS User Community
Chihuahuan Deserts
Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Cactus & Succulent

Height

3
to
15
ft.

Spread

3
to
5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Gravelly, Rocky, Well Drained, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow, Green

Bloom Season

Summer

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Nectar, Pollen

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Hummingbirds, Bees

Maintenance

Extremely cold hardy and drought tolerant. Provides garden interest year round. Poor drainage will lead to root rot. Works well in rock gardens, as an accent plant, and in containers. Plant away from foot traffic, needle sharp spines can be hazardous. Propagation: offsets division, seed.

Comments

Blooms June-September. Forms a rosette of broad fleshy gray-green leaves with toothed margins and spiny tips. Upon maturity (20 to 40 years), a candelabra-like flower stalk, with large clusters of yellow flowers, arises in summer and then the plant dies. The fruit is a capsule. Although still listed by some in the Agavaceae Family, the majority of botanical organizations now list it in the Asparagaceae Family.

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=202&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=AGHA. 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Agave+havardiana&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 5) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 6) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=182674#null, 7) https://www.gardenia.net/plant/agave-havardiana-harvard-agave, 8) https://www.highcountrygardens.com/product/perennial-plants/agave-havardiana, 9) https://ecoblossom.com/products/agave-havardiana-harvards-agave
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