Reference: Full Sun Agaves

[Pfancy]

I just put some sebastiana pups in full and part sun. After watching the original grow to only 10” in 7 years in shade I figured they might like the change. It seems to grow large in the Baja Desert sun w less water.

[mcvansoest]

Thanks for the info.

Pics of mom in this thread:

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[Pfancy]

Momma sebastiana ~10x20”

[Papahuel]

Thanks for this thread, was having a look to see which of the babies I should put in a spare (not many left) sunny spot in the garden.

I'm surprised to see marmorata is on this list (and doesn't have a *), in full sea level Sydney sun they have struggled where I have put them in full sun, even though I put them in the ground in late winter to avoid the blazing summer. I even had to move one because it just seemed to be getting completely burnt, another nearby (that gets a little shade during the day) is also struggling to acclimate.

I've attached pics of most the marmoratas I have in the ground, all seed grown (~2yo)
Pic #1 was full sun (now moved to ~60% sun)
Pic #2 ~90% sun
Pic #3 ~80% sun
Pic #4 ~80% sun (a rabbit or possum looks like it decided to have a snack on two leaves)

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[Gee.S]

You sure about that ID? Marmorata I have and have seen are blue, and have very asperous leaves. That looks like some manner of Crenatae agave to me.

[Papahuel]

You sure about that ID? Marmorata I have and have seen are blue, and have very asperous leaves. That looks like some manner of Crenatae agave to me.

I planted the seeds myself, they are from two different suppliers. So yes I am reliant on the seed collector (which is pretty much the only way I can get any unusual agave in Australia)

Plants in pic#1 & #2 are seeds from Rare Palm Seeds, plants in pics #3 and #4 are seeds from kaktus-koehres

Edit: Thanks, so much for me trying to hedge my bets and get seeds from two different suppliers, the source must have been the same . Gee feel free to delete these erroneous posts from such an important sticky thread.

[Gee.S]

Seed suppliers are completely reliant on the knowledge and honesty of their collectors. In this case, I believe they got it wrong. A. marmorata doesn't have smooth shiny leaves. Not ever. Leaves are more textured, similar to A. colorata and A. zebra.

[Gee.S]

Minime, since I am about to put both A. azurea and A. decipiens in the ground in what will be a full on full sun experience here in Mesa (near Guadalupe and the 101), I am wondering what kind of summer watering regime you maintain for these plants and if they are on an irrigation system.

So how did that A. decipiens do in full sun?

[mcvansoest]

Well, I think it would have been fine, but you know I had to dig it up and move it. In its new spot it gets about 2 hours of midday shade in the summer because it has some branches overhanging it from a tree, it did pretty well last summer, which in and of itself is a testament to its ability to deal with heat and sun, but I am sure those few hours of shade helped.

Full sun stars at the new house after about a year and a half are (two summers including this last summer from hell):

Agave 'Emerald Envy' - which right now is looking excellent again.
Agave lophantha - my long leaved BTA version
Agave bovicornuta x colorata (not the Mad Cow version)
Agave sobria ssp frailensis
Agave sobria pseudo gigantensis
Agave sobria (I have a number of them, and all appear to take to the new digs quite well)
Agave asperrima both the really rough grey version and the slightly less rough green version
Agave cerulata ssp. nelsonii
Agave desmettiana
Agave nickelsiae
Agave zebra
Agave vilmorriniana variegata (but I am sure the regular one would be fine as well)
Agave victoriae-reginae
Agave azurea

Two agaves that really struggled during last August's nonsoon with continuous 110+ (115+ on my back yard weather station) daily highs:
Agave marmorata - It succumbed eventually looking like 'sudden onset of mush/exploding core' probably brought on by getting too much water during the period of really high night time lows. Two offsets survived, so I am hopeful those will keep going on whatever is left of the roots of the big one.
Agave americana variegata - I think it will pull through though it is still looking sad.

Things that did fine with 1-3 hours of mid day shade:
Agave havardiana
Agave neomexicana
Agave oteroi
Agave applanata 'Creamspike'
Agave 'Sharkskin'
Agave titanota (one that i got with the sub label 'Rancho Tambor', which therefore may or may not be the real deal - it certainly looks the part) - which struggled, but is hanging in there.
Agave funkiana - ever since the transplant the main plant has been pretty much stagnant, but it is putting out a number of good looking offsets
Agave decipiens

Jury still out (ie. I did cover them with 50% shade cloth late July):
Agave 'Little Shark'
Agave isthmensis
Agave shrevei
Agave palmeri (acquired as A. p. 'dwarf form' - it has been slow growing with more glaucous green than green leaves)
Agave macroacantha
Agave murpheyi 'Engard' - I think this would be fine if it was not a pretty mature plant that was transplanted from a quite heavy shade area at my previous place.
Agave ovatifolia variegata (very light variegation, I do not think this will ever be fully full sun here, but it is an easy to cover plant especially if its only a few weeks).

Half day sun:
Agave xylonacantha
Agave sp. - supposedly an undescribed agave from somewhere in north central AZ, I got this from a friend who got it from someone at the DBG many years back. I will try to post a few good pictures as I would certainly not mind your opinion on it Gee.S
Agave potatorum 'Snow Fall'
Agave weberi - striata
Agave avellanidens
Agave x arizonica
Agave parrasana regular and fireball
Mangave 'Man of Steel' - is looking really happy in the ground getting morning sun.
Just planted Agave 'Mr. Ripple' in this area.

Hiding in the deep shade of a tree:
Agave mapisaga var. Lisa
Agave atrovirens

Agaves that horribly died last summer:
Agave sisalana (a small one that I should have just kept in my shade structure)
Agave margaritae - see note about Agave marmorata above
Agave montana - see note about Agave marmorata above
Agave marmorata
A couple of Agave macroacantha
My two remaining Agaves bovicornuta, which is the one agave, among all that I have tried to grow more than once (in pots and in the ground), that I have managed to kill horribly each and every time...
A random number of small potted plants in my shade structure probably due to a combination of too much/too little water and crazy summer heat - still working on the full accounting of that.

This coming summer I will be trying Agave 'saw tooth' (possibly Agave lurida) that I got from KLC in full sun to replace the Agave desmettiana which bolted (it is already in place). Other than that I have not made any solid plans for Agaves to put in the full sun as I am still dealing with triaging my potted plant collection (which includes many cacti and a bunch of Aloes)... I have a large Agave sebastiana I need to do something with as it has outgrown its already large pot again, but I hesitate to give it too much sun exposure.

In the ground plants that did the worst last summer were definitely the Aloes, but that is not really a surprise.

[Gee.S]

I have a nice decipiens clump here, two plants have substantial trunks. These guys scream bloody murder in regard to summer sun, and not really much of it. They yellow frighteningly, but eventually seem to get over it. So sorta like montana, but a bit more dramatic.

In my experience, A. margaritae takes sun about as well as a mushroom.

Your Sawtooth will be fine. Water off a duck's back.

[mcvansoest]

The really big decipiens (assuming it is decipiens given that it is unlabeled) they have at the DBG is also growing in pretty much full shade.

This last summer all plants in the sun showed some level of sun stress, but as things go the decipiens was not too horribly stressed out - must be those couple of hours shade it gets in the middle of the day (right now it is in all day full sun as the sun angle is low enough for the sun to easily reach it).

I have a spare saw tooth in case it croaks, but given that it will have a good long time to root in and adjust I expect it to be OK.

I got a new A. montana and put that on the edge of my north facing patio for now, in with a good number of Aloes that are thriving there.

Anybody have any sun hardiness report for Agave 'Mad Cow'? Mine is ready for a bigger pot, so now would be as good a time as any to stick it in the ground.
And how about Agave durangensis? Another one that is outgrowing its pot and I need to do something about...

Another plant I forgot from my previous report of full sun agaves is something I got as Agave 'Green Goblet'. I have two. The one I put in the ground did this really exaggerated closing up thing in the summer really looking like a goblet, but other than that pretty much did not flinch. I am not sure of what people think its species is, I guess I have read salmiana, but to me both in size and sun hardiness it feels much more like a really toothy Agave desmettiana. The one in the pot had a tough time so it is now also in the ground.
Anyway it is another really green sun hardy agave of which there are not too many.

[Gee.S]

A couple other notes/comments. The A. shrevei that BTA has been spreading around takes full sun without complaint.
A. durangensis should also take full sun.
A. weberi striata will take all the sun the non-variegate takes, i.e. full sun with some complaint, but variegation looks better with some mid-day/afternoon relief.
A. ×arizonica also handles a lot of sun.
My A. sisalana take full sun with minimal complaint, and mediopicta are even tougher. Your sisalana travails may have been an adjustment issue.
My A. americana variegates do not like this area much. Too much hot and sun. I'll be glad when they're gone.
Two A. marmorata here, each takes full sun like a champ, though this past summer tested one, in particular.
A. isthmensis will never adjust to afternoon sun. They definitely need some help.

[mcvansoest]

The shrevei I have is not from BTA unfortunately - that one I left at the old place because it was bolting and I never got an offset from it - but I fully agree it took full sun just fine, this one I think will eventually as well it is just a little small still. I have a pic of the BTA one with a stalk probably halfway up, but way before flowers, the next time I came by the house they had taken it out. The old front yard is pretty much a wasteland now. I think they lost the big Palo Verde over the summer and with that decided to take pretty much everything out. Even the 15+ foot Hercules is gone... Some prickly pears left and the big Agave chrysantha, but that appeared to be it. No need to ever drive by there again. On to getting the front and back at the new place in tip top shape.

I think my marmorata just got too much water from me at the wrong time. The pups appear to be doing fine, but I will say the front yard was a special kind of hell this last summer - south facing straight onto the asphalt/concrete from road/sidewalk, east side neighbor's driveway is concrete all the way to the property line and west side neighbor has gravel and two citrus trees the closest of which is essentially dead and was that way for much of the summer, so very little relief from the heat.

The sisalana was probably wrong timing on my part - thinking they are generally bullet proof I probably put it in the front yard too late, given that nothing was really bullet proof last summer.

Both my x arizonicas came from pretty shady spots so I figured giving them some sun but not boom all day full sun, but one has gone from a plant with almost foot-foot and half long leaves to a plant with leaves about half 6-8 inches in length or so.

I think I will make an effort to get the Durangensis in the ground soon then given that it is pretty big and will probably want some time to settle in. It has a few offsets so a nice hedge against something going wrong.

No pictures yet of my mystery AZ agave, I got side tracked. Tomorrow.

[KLC]

Side tracked? Lol yes me too with everything.

A. sisalana are in good numbers here on the west side, usually in commercial landscape, parking lots, etc. and they didn't skip a beat over the summer.

My collection of agaves has shrunk way down in the last few seasons. This last summer I lost 2 parryi colonies, I usually cover them with shadecloth but this year I didn't. They shrivel up and then when the water comes they rot. There are still some pups growing so they will repopulate soon enough. I also lost an A. parasana.

A. mapisaga v Lisa in the ground was not a happy camper at all, it was wobbly and wrinkly but now it has rehydrated and resumed active growth. I'll have to make a note to myself to give it some more irrigation in the hot months. I have also came to the conclusion that I will have to leave the dead leaves on it, they seem to give it some stability in the ground, when they are removed it lets the body of the plant move around. This species has big fleshy leaves that need support as they stretch out 4 or 5 feet on all directions.

My biggest A. ovatifolia always gets covered in the summer, the leaves that don't quite get coverage will burn back a few inches. I try not to get any water down into the crown but it does happen now and then, this year for the first time I noticed some rot on about 4 leaves down at their base. The core was still tight in the ground so I believe it was localized in the one area. I used a leaf blower to try and dry it out as much as I could, there was some moisture that I blew out but not much. It's been a month since this occurred and it hasn't progressed any further so I think it has dried out and stopped. This one is a big boy and I suspect it will flower in the next few years.

On a positive note, A. gentryi 'Jaws' went all summer uncovered, it wrinkled and got loose in the ground but with careful watering to avoid getting the crown wet it has recovered completely and is opening up some new leaves.

There aren't many agaves that will flourish in full sun with this level of heat when the ground is so dry. The exception might be 'EE', mine just keeps on going without a hitch.

[Melt in the Sun]

Anybody have any sun hardiness report for Agave 'Mad Cow'?

Mine superficially burned this year, and that's getting some afternoon shade.

[Papahuel]

Hi,

Am I right in assuming palmeri and all the domesticates (verdensis and yav aren't on the list) are fine in full sun?

I will also confirm durangensis takes sun like a beast, I have a lot of these going from seed.

[Gee.S]

Palmeri and the domesticates (save murpheyi) have their limits.

[Papahuel]

Palmeri and the domesticates (save murpheyi) have their limits.

Thanks, surprising!

Well I'll give their limits a test and start them off in full sun, I'm guessing the limits here aren't quite the limits where you are!

[Gee.S]

A. palmeri takes full sun in the Tucson area, but not here in the Phoenix area, so I guess it depends on how strong your sun is. The main difference between these areas is that Tucson attracts more summer clouds than Phoenix. BTW, one easy way to tell palmeri from chrysantha is that palmeri readily stresses red in cold and sun, while chrysantha does not.

[raimeiken]

Great thread. I recently gotten into agaves and have collected several and in the process of planting them in ground. This list will certainly help me decide where to place them.

Anyone have experience in potatorum Kichijokan? I got one from Lowes recently. Not sure what sun exposure to put it in.

I'm surprised to see Celsi Nova in the full sun list. It certainly looks like one that would need some afternoon shade. I planted mine with that in mind, but I'm glad to learn it can handle more sun.

I also got a few titanota and titanota lions mane recently from HD. I'm assuming afternoon shade for these two?

How about Guiengola creme brulee? I have a small pup a friend gave me.

[Gee.S]

A. 'Kichijokan' is in my experience, a VERY tough agave, despite its delicate appearance. It can handle a lot of sun, but will look its best with a little afternoon shade. Titanota and titanota-ish agaves are not especially well-suited for life in central AZ, and quite sun-sensitive in my experience. Many will stress out in summer from morning sun only. Filtered sun is the ideal situation here. I would keep the guiengola well shaded.

[raimeiken]

A. 'Kichijokan' is in my experience, a VERY tough agave, despite its delicate appearance. It can handle a lot of sun, but will look its best with a little afternoon shade. Titanota and titanota-ish agaves are not especially well-suited for life in central AZ, and quite sun-sensitive in my experience. Many will stress out in summer from morning sun only. Filtered sun is the ideal situation here. I would keep the guiengola well shaded.

Thanks for the tip, I'll keep an eye on the titanotas and possibly throw a shade cloth on them if they start to stress out in summer. Can a regular gueingola handle more sun than the creme brulee version?

I'm looking to get some parrasana now after seeing it on the full sun list.

I got one of those pygmea Dragon toes last summer and kept it in its pot and got a lot of sun in summer and it faired pretty well for me.

[Gee.S]

Thanks for the tip, I'll keep an eye on the titanotas and possibly throw a shade cloth on them if they start to stress out in summer. Can a regular gueingola handle more sun than the creme brulee version?

I'm looking to get some parrasana now after seeing it on the full sun list.

I got one of those pygmea Dragon toes last summer and kept it in its pot and got a lot of sun in summer and it faired pretty well for me.

I'm sure A. guiengola can manage more sun than the variegate, but it is also not especially well-suited for life in central AZ, if that is where you are. That is why you almost never see them planted out here. I have one potted in near complete shade in a very sheltered area that is doing well, but not unlike titanota, has a definite aversion toward overly harsh conditions like oppressive heat, scorching sun, and sub-freezing temps. A. guiengola loves the San Diego area, which should tell you everything you need to know.

A. parrasana is an excellent choice for the Valley, as is pygmae, though the latter would most appreciate some small relief through the worst of summer here.

A. guiengola

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[raimeiken]

Speaking of San Diego weather, what are your thoughts on Attentuata? I have one growing in a large pot in my courtyard which gets plenty of filtered sun and shade and doing well for 2 years now, but I remember seeing a listing last year on offerup or Craigslist from a guy in Tempe that was selling off his attentuatas that he claims were grown in full sun here for years. Judging by the pictures they looked like they were planted in full sun spot. Unfortunately someone beat me to them and bought them all. I was just surprised that his did well in full sun here. I thought they were supposed to be tender here and need lots of shade.

[Gee.S]

Either guy was fibbing, or not attenuata. Another agave especially ill-suited for the Valley. In the long run, you're really better off not having a lot of these agaves. If you acquire too many, you will eventually weary of the special attention/care they require. If you want some spineless agaves for poolside or near walkways, pick up vilmoriniana or even desmetiana. I have quite a few vilmoriniana variegates right now. $10 each.