Agave parryi
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Artichoke Agave, Mescal Agave and Parry's Agave.
Agave parryi is toxic
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Toxic to people. Irritates skin. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
Sources file this plant under other names: Agave parryi AGM. Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- Full sunRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H2 — 1–5°C 1–5 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Sand; pH AcidRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- Irritates skin. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- Highly drought tolerant: let the soil dry fully between waterings, and give no water in winter.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In summer water generously and feed three or four times with a low-nitrogen feed. In autumn water less, and in winter keep dry.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- In summer water generously, feeding three or four times with a low-nitrogen fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Division is used to propagate it.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Sow seed, or take off offsets.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Scale insects can attack it. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Agave parryi, known as Parry's agave or mescal agave, is a flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It is a slow-growing succulent perennial native to Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- SE. Arizona to Texas and N. & W. MexicoWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026US and MexicoNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Arizona, Texas & N MexicoRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- desert or dry shrublandWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- succulent perennialWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Perennial, Succulent; habit clumpingNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Bushy (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 12–36 in; width 12–36 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.1-0.5 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 10–20 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow; blooms in summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers red in summer; yellow in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Native Americans use the plant for fiber, soap and medicine. Sap from a plant about to bloom can be fermented into pulque, which in turn can be distilled to make tequila or mescal. Both stalk and leaves are edible.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Other Agave
More of the Asparagaceae family
Asparagus fernBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Cast iron plantBlade tips go crisp and brown
DracaenaBrown tips on the newest blades first
HyacinthFlowering stops while the foliage carries on
Lucky bambooCrisp margins that appear in winter
Ponytail palmBlades hang and feel thin between the fingers
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.