American Century Plant
Agave americanaAmerican Century Plant is a shrub native to the Texas Hill Country that grows 4–6 ft tall and 5 ft wide. It wants full sun and low water, and handles caliche and clay soil. Flowers are yellow. Evergreen — it holds its leaves through winter. Good for bees, birds and small mammals.
Caution — people. Sap is a significant skin irritant; terminal spine punctures. Site away from walkways.
Will it grow in your yard?
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The facts
5 sources- Type
- Shrub
- Sun
- Full sun (6–8 hrs of direct sun)
- Water
- Low
- Height
- 4–6 ft
- Spread
- 5 ft
- Bloom
- Yellow
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Soil
- Takes caliche and clay · recorded on caliche, clay, dry, loam, sand, well drained
- Deer
- Moderate — deer may browse it, especially new growth
- Wildlife
- Supports bees, birds and small mammals
Where it grows
Recorded in this EPA Level IV ecoregion in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:
116 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).
Can you buy it?
Also grows here — hard to find. Native and recorded growing in Central Texas, but not on the grower stock lists we read. Sourcing varies: some are stocked widely, others you will have to hunt for.
also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.