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succulent

Parry's agave

Agave parryi

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Agave parryi is a slow-growing evergreen succulent for gardens in zones 7–10. It grows 1–2 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide, so plant it 2.5 ft apart. Give it full sun to part sun and little water once established. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the grass role: a spiky, upright accent that gives the middle of the bed the line and texture a grass would. It is native to the Desert Southwest. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf and the Pacific Northwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name
Agave parryi
Plant type
Succulent, evergreen
Hardiness zones
7 to 10
Sun
Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
Water
Low
Soil
Fast-draining gravelly soil; rots in wet winter soil.
Mature size
1–2 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide
Spacing
2.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Slow
Bloom
Grown for foliage
Roles in a bed
Grass
Styles
low water, modern
Deer resistance
High: deer rarely eat it
Pets
Toxic to dogs and cats. Agave sap irritates skin and mouth (saponins); spines injure pets. Listed toxic by pet-poison references.
Native to
Desert Southwest
Pot size and price
1-gallon pot, typically $18–$35 (sometimes stocked)
Plant in
Spring or Fall
First-year watering
Water deeply once or twice a week for the first 6-8 weeks, then every 10-14 days in dry spells through the first summer; after that only in long droughts.
Pruning
No pruning; remove offsets if crowded.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed and invasive plant lists; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate); USDA PLANTS database; state extension service native plant lists. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Parry's agave, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Plants that do the same job and pass the same rules for the conditions Parry's agave suits.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants