Generally — Most Areas
agave (zones 8-11) suits most of Texas (6b-10b) — zones 8-10 are in range, and the rest of the state is the exception.
Agave in Texas — the short answer
Agave in Texas: hardy in zones 8–11, full sun, against a state median of ~274 frost-free days.
- Plant zones
- 8-11
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
- Texas zones
- 6b-10b
- USDA PHZM 2023
- Frost window
- Feb 10 - Mar 12 – Nov 18 - Dec 4
- NOAA RCC ACIS 1991-2020, 28°F
- Shortest county season
- 197 days
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020, county 28°F killing freeze
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset.
Your yard isn't the whole zone.
Texas spans zones 6b-10b, but your yard sits in exactly one — and slope, tree cover, and cold-air pockets nudge it further. Enter your address and we'll score agave against your parcel's actual hardiness, soil, and sun.
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
No card required · your full report in seconds
Texas is not one climate
Texas’s winter-low ladder runs across 254 counties, from zone 6.5 in Dallam County to zone 10 in Willacy County. That is 35°F between the two counties’ average coldest night — the difference between agave overwintering in the ground and coming under cover.
The middle half of 254 counties runs 8–9 zones, with a median of 8.5 zones — a 3.5-zone span end to end.
Measured across 254 Texas counties. USDA PHZM 2023, per county. Quartiles are order statistics — every figure shown is a value a real county recorded, not an interpolation. Your own site sits somewhere inside this range; a parcel report resolves where.
Where in Texas Fits Best
Agave is rated for zones 8–11 — a cold floor USDA puts at 10 to 20°F. Against Texas’s 254 counties that band holds in 214 of them, and the line runs at Andrews County (zone 8a), the coldest county still inside it.
Inside zones 8–11
214 counties
- Archer County · zone 8a
- Baylor County · zone 8a
- Borden County · zone 8a
3 of 214 shown
Below the zone 8 floor
40 counties
- Dallam County · zone 6b
- Lipscomb County · zone 6b
- Armstrong County · zone 7a
3 of 40 shown
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant works in a container that comes under cover.
County hardiness zones: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023, per county. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so the floor above is the band the plant's rating denotes, not a single measured kill point. Slope, shelter and cold-air drainage routinely move a site half a zone either way from its county figure — which is the part only your address resolves.
Even within Texas's zones 6b-10b, county microclimates differ enough to change what thrives. These counties carry the closest zone match for agave (USDA PHZM 2023):
Zone Comparison
Agave Needs
- USDA Zones: 8-11
- Frost-Free Days: 150+
- Sun: Full Sun
- Mature size: 6 ft tall
- Drought tolerance: High
Texas Has
- USDA Zones: 6b-10b
- Last Hard Freeze (28°F): Feb 10 - Mar 12
- First Hard Freeze (28°F): Nov 18 - Dec 4
- Annual Rainfall: 8-56 inches
- Common Soils: Black clay (Blackland Prairie), Sandy loam, Caliche
Plant Zone Range (zones 8-11)
Preferred Soil pH
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources — per-field provenance varies and is published with the dataset. State data: USDA ARS PHZM 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, NRCS SSURGO.
When to Plant Agave in Texas
The frost window
Across Texas, the last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 10 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 18 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Counting from the latest last freeze to the earliest first freeze, that's a 251-day window you can count on — up to 297 days on a mild site in a kind year. That marks the hard freeze, not the last light frost, so tender transplants usually wait another 2-3 weeks.
Winter standing
Texas runs as cold as USDA zone 6, and no sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for agave, so this page does not state whether it overwinters here — and gives no fall establishment date on the strength of a guess. Whether agave is a permanent planting or a replant-every-spring crop for you turns on your own zone within Texas; check its hardiness range against that before treating it as long-lived ground.
Timing tuned to sub-state frost dates — Dallam County, not the statewide average.
Frost window: NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020. Plant timing fields: Growable Ground Plant Database — frost-free days from FAO ECOCROP, days to harvest from university Extension production guides, and growing-degree-day and chill-hour minimums that are compilation estimates rather than published figures. Your site's own frost dates can run earlier or later than the state range — a parcel report pins them down.
Growing Season Fit
The zone check says agave survives winter in part of Texas, not across all of it. Whether the season is long enough — and warm enough — is a different question.
Frost-free days
Agave wants 150+ frost-free days; a typical Texas site sees ~274 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). That leaves comfortable headroom for succession planting.
GDD and chill-hour figures are computed from PRISM 1991-2020 monthly climate normals; frost-free days from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020. Each is the state median across its counties (P25/P75 span the within-state spread). Hardiness-zone range is USDA PHZM 2023.
Soil + Drainage Fit
Agave likes near-neutral soil (pH 5.5-8). That's the common-ground band across Texas's black clay (blackland prairie) and sandy loam — a soil test confirms it for your site. It will grow across that whole span, but it does best between pH 6 and 7.5 — worth knowing before you decide whether a Texas soil test result is a problem or just a number. Drainage matters: this plant wants well (dry spells). If your Texas site is heavier clay or sits in a low spot, raised beds or amendment with compost solve it.
Your land, not the state average
Texas's soils run mostly fine sandy loam, but SSURGO maps the series, texture, and drainage under your exact parcel. Agave needs about 19 inches of workable depth, so it is that horizon — not the surface — you are testing for. That map unit, not the state average, decides how agave performs.
Check your parcel → Source: USDA NRCS SSURGO.
Plant pH requirements: FAO ECOCROP and USDA PLANTS, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Drainage: FAO ECOCROP, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation. Texas soil profile from USDA NRCS SSURGO. Site-specific verification: a 30-minute soil test from your local Extension lab.
What Else to Consider for Agave in Texas
Zone compatibility tells you about winter cold survival — but Texas growers also need to think about:
Extreme heat (100F+ days) stresses many crops from June through September
Rainfall varies dramatically — 8 inches in west TX to 56 inches in east TX
Heavy black clay (Blackland Prairie) is difficult to work and drains poorly
Flash drought conditions can develop rapidly even in wet years
Growing agave here specifically
Agave prefers pH 5.5–8.0 and room to root medium; across much of Texas, restrictive group-D subsoil (SSURGO) blocks that depth.
Build agave a deep raised bed of loose soil to bypass the dense subsoil entirely. How to handle it →
What to actually do about these — and the constraints that apply to every Texas grower, not just agave — is covered on the Texas growing guide.
Timing shifts within Texas
Texas isn't one climate. In Dallam County, the last hard freeze (28°F) holds until about Apr 12 — roughly 46 days later than the recorded state median — so plant agave to your county's window, not the statewide date.
Agave needs about 150 days of frost-free season to complete its cycle. Even Dallam County — Texas’s shortest season at 197 frost-free days — clears that by 47 days, so season length isn’t the constraint anywhere in Texas. What varies is your own parcel.
Across Texas’s 254 counties the frost-free season runs from 197 days in Dallam County to 343 days in Kenedy County — a spread of 146 days, which is why a single statewide planting date misleads. The median Texas county sees 274 frost-free days, leaving agave about 124 days of slack on a typical parcel — room for a second sowing where the season runs long.
County last-freeze dates and frost-free day counts: NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS (1991-2020), county 28°F freeze (earlier than the folk 32°F "last frost"). Agave's 150-day requirement: USDA PLANTS / Growable Ground plant database (minimum frost-free days). A parcel report resolves your address's own frost dates.
Pollinator + Wildlife Value
Agave draws native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths (high value, Growable Ground Plant Database). Planting it near vegetable beds can lift fruit set on neighboring crops. Outdoors, agave can only work that bloom inside Texas's frost window — roughly 274 days, opening after the last 28°F freeze (Feb 10 - Mar 12) and closing at the first (Nov 18 - Dec 4), per NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020.
Good to Know Before You Plant Agave
Agave is listed as toxic to dogs, cats (sap) at a mild level (ASPCA). Most listed plants only cause brief upset — a raised bed or a fenced corner usually keeps curious pets clear.
Recommended Agave Varieties for Texas
Texas publishes no state variety trial for agave, so we won't invent a "best for Texas" list. Choose types rated to your USDA hardiness zone (6b-10b), and confirm winter survival and drainage against your own parcel.
Texas Cooperative Extension
For Texas-specific cultivar recommendations, planting calendars, and pest pressure for agave, the canonical source is Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Their fact sheets carry the local trial data we can't generalize across 50 states.
Is Agave native to Texas?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Agave as native to Texas. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
Native-range data: USDA PLANTS Database state-distribution records, accessed 2026-07-01.
Common Questions About Growing Agave in Texas
When can I plant Agave in Texas?
Texas's last spring hard freeze (28°F) clears between Feb 10 and Mar 12, and the first fall hard freeze lands between Nov 18 and Dec 4 (NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). No sourced winter-hardiness floor is on record for Agave, so this page does not state whether it overwinters in Texas and publishes no fall establishment date for it — check its hardiness range against your own zone before treating it as a permanent planting.
What hardiness zone is Agave grown in across Texas?
Texas spans USDA hardiness zones 6b-10b (USDA ARS PHZM 2023). Agave carries a range of zones 8-11, so the overlap zones are where outdoor growing is most reliable.
How many frost-free days does a typical Texas site have?
A typical Texas site sees ~274 frost-free days per year (derived from NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS, 1991-2020). Agave needs 150+ frost-free days, so check whether your local microclimate runs above or below the state average before settling on a planting date. In cooler counties like Dallam, the freeze-free season runs shorter than the state average, so verify your own county's window.
Is Agave native to Texas?
Yes — the USDA PLANTS Database (accessed 2026-07-01) documents Agave as native to Texas. Planting it supports the pollinators and wildlife that evolved alongside it.
How should I amend the soil for Agave in Texas?
Agave prefers pH 5.5-8 and well (dry spells) drainage (FAO ECOCROP). That sits in the common-ground band across Texas soils — a 30-minute soil test from a local Extension lab confirms it for your specific site.
Will Agave actually grow on my specific land in Texas?
State-level zone + climate data is a sketch. A Growable Ground parcel report scores agave against your address's exact soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost-date data drawn from USDA SSURGO, NOAA, and PRISM — not state averages.
Check your specific parcel in Texas
State-level data is a sketch. Your Growable Ground report scores agave against your parcel's exact soil, sun, drainage, and frost data — not zone averages.
Three things about your lot that Texas agave averages can't show:
We read public map data around Texas — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources read at your address, not the Texas agave average
Explore More
Growing guides for agave
Analysis by the Growable Ground research team, grounded in USDA PLANTS, USDA NRCS SSURGO, NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020), and named Cooperative Extension sources. How we know →
Cite this dataset
Kirchick, M. (2026). Growable Ground Plant Database [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.21435643
Last updated: