Agave is a perennial grown for its yellow blooms, which open in indeterminate and return year after year. It's hardy across USDA zones 8 through 11, shrugs off deer and shrugs off dry spells. Its indeterminate flowers are a real draw for native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths.
Agave — the short answer
Agave: grown in zones 8–11, full sun, pH 5.5–8.
- USDA zones
- 8–11
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH
- 5.5–8
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 23°F
- FAO ECOCROP
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Agave on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether agave actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score agave against your land's real conditions.
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What Agave is
Agave grows as a perennial and reaches around six feet at maturity. It blooms yellow in indeterminate. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Agave
Agave grows in USDA zones 8 through 11. Agave does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 8, on well-drained ground.
USDA Zones
8-11
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
5.5 - 8
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
23°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
FAO ECOCROP
Minimum Growing Temperature
50°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
Mature Height
6 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant agave in full sun with at least 6 hours of direct sun, once the soil has warmed and frost risk has passed.
Match the soil
Agave prefers pH 5.5 to 8 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water while it roots in
Water deeply while agave establishes, letting the soil dry between soakings; once its roots are in, it rides out dry spells on its own.
Harvest at its peak
Cut agave blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Agave thrives
Agave is hardy across USDA zones 8 through 11. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 8–11 spans average winter lows from 10°F to 50°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 1 outright and splits 27 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 8–11·Where Agave growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Agave stands, state by state
Agave is rated for zones 8–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 1 sits fully inside that band, the line runs through 27 more, and 23 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
27 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- Idaho · zones 3b-8a
- California · zones 4b-11a
3 of 27 shown
Agave’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Agave
Growing guides for agave
Related plants in perennial flower
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — agave is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Agave is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Your land is one point inside Agave's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Agave will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether agave actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Agave
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Agave in my zone?
Agave grows in USDA hardiness zones 8 through 11 (NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Agave?
Most growers plant agave after the last spring frost, once the soil has warmed. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Agave need?
Agave needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Agave need?
Agave prefers soil pH 5.5 to 8, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Agave attract pollinators?
Yes — agave's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Is Agave safe for pets?
Agave is toxic to dogs and cats with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Agave
Agave state by state
Every state agave's zone reaches — 22 link straight to that state's agave growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.