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Agave won’t propagate

5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago



Hello. I moved into my house 3 years ago. The agave that was planted before I moved in has done well and continued to grow steadily. However, I’ve never found a pup around it. I frequently check and have found nothing. Any ideas why nothing is happening with this healthy plant?

Comments (19)

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    It looks like Agave desmettiana ‘Variegata’ and they normally produce offsets. They are also fast growing. Yours looks nice and healthy, and also mature.

    How much sun and water does it get?

  • 5 years ago

    So, the sun thing is tricky. My patio/backyard faces south and it’s impossible to hide most things from the sun, especially considering it’s AZ sun. However, the white wall behind the agave is actually the neighbors house, so it is blocked from the sun for a bit of the day depending on the time of year. But, when it does get sun in morning and afternoon, it gets quite a bit. I don’t water too often, but will if the leaves look a little wilty. It perks up pretty fast.

  • 5 years ago

    Sorry, somehow I got logged in on my other account, but it’s me answering ☺️

  • 5 years ago

    Agaves can be watered quite a lot, and I think yours would benefit from a regular watering schedule. If it wilts, it's stressed.

    Water by giving it a deep soaking around the plant -- as often as once a week in the summer if you're not getting rain.

    I would also get some compost and spread it under and around the plant under the rock mulch. Or some slow-release fertilizer specially formulated for desert plants.

  • 5 years ago

    Thanks! I’ll try that

  • 5 years ago

    Jjim, Don't know where you live but watch the overwatering. Only when it is warm out.

  • 5 years ago

    I live in Arizona. I probably should be watering it more considering it’s deathly hot in summer. I’ll kick up the watering now that its getting warmer and summer is approaching

  • 5 years ago

    I have one (same species) in the far north in a pot, it's always suckerng. Are you sure there are no pups there near the base?

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I don't have that one but I have 'Joe Hoak' which is always sending up a few pups.

    In my zone, I have to keep it in pots and in the house thru winter.

    One in middle.



    Some of the hybrids of A. desmettiana do not pup, or rarely only after flowering.

    Blue Glow



    Opps, my error. A. Blue Glow is a hybrid A. attenuata X A. ocahul by Kelly Griffin.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Stush, I just got a Blue Glow and keep it in a pot, so I can admire "the glow" up close when it's backlit. What a great plant!



  • 5 years ago

    Nice shot Jo Jo, There is one called Snow Glow. Same but with more yellow in the edges. It is a sport of Blue Glow. Cost is still out of site for now. It pups rarer than Blue Glow.

  • 5 years ago

    Phoenix Rising, yes I’ve checked it frequently in the three years Ive lived in my house. No pups. Again, I’m baffled as to why, as the plant Itself always looks healthy and grows well. 🤔

  • 5 years ago

    Should expect a bloom maybe this year or next. It looks big enough. The plant would die back but most differently would produce many pups at the base. Some times the flower stock produce what's called pup-lets. Small plants with out roots growing on the bloom stock. Could be removed and planted up.

    Did you want pups to plant up elsewhere in your yard?

  • 5 years ago

    Stush, I love planting pups in pots and either growing them to plant in my yard or giving them to friends and family. I have a ton of aloe that propagates like crazy. My friend planted a blue agave last year that has already produced pups (I was happy to take one off her hands). Just reminded me again that mine still has yet to produce. I use miracle grow solution on my outdoor potted plants once a month, which they seem to enjoy. Should I use it on my big agave as well? Think it might help?

  • 5 years ago

    Jo Jo, Only showing bottom of plant. Did it bloom? If so, you should remove as many pups above the soil line as possible. They some times die all the way back and I have heard people loosing all their pups around the old stump.

    Mine are all in pot culture and so far I haven't had one bloom. Just hopes it doesn't do it in the fall when I have to bring it inside for the winter.


    I seldom use plant food due to I don't want my agave to get any bigger. No room or just too hard moving them in and out every year.


    I was given a lot of plants here and so I pass along my extras to others for postage only.

    Right now I have a limited supply of Agave. But come fall I would be thinning out before taking them in again.

  • 5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    No, it hasn't bloomed yet. It's only about 3' tall and wide, and a year old in my garden. If this is indeed Weber's, it's going to be at least 6' tall and 8' wide. And that's just the mother plant... Sheesh, I actually decided not to feed it this year to keep it from taking over the yard.

    There are agaves getting ready to bloom all over my neighborhood. I think lots of them were planted around the same time when the area was developed. I can't wait for the show!

  • 5 years ago

    JJ McG, agaves can take years to propagate. Mine did not until they bloomed, and that took more than five years for some. I have one that is 12 years old (furcraea macdougalii) in my front yard that probably will not propagate until it is at least 20 years old.

  • 5 years ago

    Lars, very true but A. desmettiana is a known pup maker. Mine that are very small and in pots put out a few pups every year. Some after removing pups seem to stay solentary for years for some unknow reason.