Grow Foxtail Agave (A. attenuata), a Perfect & Popular Succulent

Learn about foxtail agave care, cultivation, propagation, flowering, pests, variegates, cultivars and more.
This highly popular soft-leaved succulent looks equally good in pots or in the garden. Rosettes attain a manageable 5' in diameter over time. With flexible leaves lacking barbs or points, foxtails are among the few agaves that are totally harmless. As the only trunk-forming agave, they lend height to garden spaces and make beautiful backdrops. En masse, they suggest a hedge of huge green flowers. Plus, Agave attenuata is easy to propagate and grows in climates that other agaves won't!
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Award-winning garden photojournalist and bestselling author Debra Lee Baldwin shares her expertise about “plants that drink responsibly” in print, photos, videos and her “Celebrating the Joy of Succulents” newsletter. Debra is based in Southern California, home to more succulent specialty nurseries and growers than anywhere else in the world.
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This video's URL: • Grow Foxtail Agave (A....

[@writingtutor7317]

Thank you! You answered all my questions about the beautiful foxtail!!

[@QueenofSucculents]

Happy to help!

[@_TommyP]

Lovely video! I’m based in Queensland Australia. I don’t grow these in my backyard……they grow themselves.

[@QueenofSucculents]

LOL! Love it. Thanks for a great comment.

[@robertbrewer2190]

This is one of my favorite plants! They are so decorative and so tough as well. I beheaded on and dropped it into a pot with an empty soil mix bag in the bottom intending to add some soil. It looked fine and I forgot about it for two years!. It had lots of roots in the air and continued growing at the same pace when I finally added soil!. Agave Karas Stripes and Ray of Light are two variegated varieties that and very interesting as well. In my S F Bay area garden they are slow growers and very very seldom pup. Thanks.

[@QueenofSucculents]

Thanks, Robert -- I agree, and had to laugh at the one that grew roots into thin air. Like most agaves, foxtails are survivors.

[@kb4907]

Debra really knows her attenuatas!! I messaged her last February, when one of mine -- a beloved plant taken from my late mother's garden -- showed leaf damage. Trimming the ends, re-potting, and placing it in a less frost-susceptible area made all the difference. After just a few months, it is looking beautiful again! Thank you so much!!

[@QueenofSucculents]

Our correspondence made me realize others would likely want to know, too 😘

[@kb4907]

Yes!! Thanks again 🙂@@QueenofSucculents

[@dianadeedy1025]

One of my favorite agaves! Even in Connecticut!

[@QueenofSucculents]

Hi Diana -- Wow, good for you!

[@lindadonabedian6845]

I love my foxtail agaves! I'm in the Central Valley, also zone 9B. This will be my first winter with them so hopefully there'll be no damage. So far they're very happy in the shade up against a fence. One of these days I'll get all my succulents out of pots & get them in the ground, but it seems like so much work. Thanks for all your information Debra!

[@QueenofSucculents]

Thank you Linda! Good to know your foxtails are thriving. Keep in mind they may lean away from a shady location eventually, and don't let frost sneak up on them! At least in that location, the fence will provide some protection, as will whatever is above them. 😉

[@spaceyrat]

Thank you for sharing this valuable information. I have some established foxtail agave sending out pups and working to take over the sidewalk, so now I know how to proceed!

[@QueenofSucculents]

That's great! Happy to help!

[@sk_abstract_art]

Omg I didnt know you could cut down the trunk...presently waiting for my waterproofed pots to cure so I can replant. Thank you so much for this information ❤ Kind regards from Phoenix 😊

[@QueenofSucculents]

You're very welcome! Thanks for the comment. 😘

[@daleandrews3552]

Thanks for the informative video, Deborah. Day before yesterday I recieved a rather LARGE one - about 1 full yard in diamter! - from an online vendor off of Etsy called "ThankYouMotherNature". I'm from Lake Charles, LA where it lightly freezes around 3 or 4 times each winter, at which time I will simply scoot it into a nearby heated room. It looks so stunning and majestic on my patio in its 10-15 gallon terra cotta pot and I've already recieved several compliments. Thanks for your informative videos and sharing your knowledge. 🪴🌵

[@QueenofSucculents]

You're most welcome, Dale! Thanks for the comment.

[@QueenofSucculents]

Learn more on the corresponding page of my site: debraleebaldwin.com/succulent-plants/agave-attenuata-foxtail-agave-care-cultivation/

[@SteveSmith-pk3lr]

Great information and photos.

[@QueenofSucculents]

Thank you, Steve!

[@mutalechendelamuzo2102]

Much love for from Zambia 🇿🇲 Africa.they grow well here as well.

[@QueenofSucculents]

Good to know. Makes sense, a lot of succulents from Africa do well here, too.

[@pattyweidner9995]

Can't wait to purchase my first Agave Attenuada ❤ Great video, thank you 🎉

[@jdt_skincareaddict]

Thank you so much again for the new upload and update dear Debra! ❤ your fan since 2013 from Philippines 🇵🇭 Deether

[@QueenofSucculents]

Thanks John. I'm pretty sure you can grow these where you are ♥

[@jdt_skincareaddict]

@@QueenofSucculents Yes, but it's hard to find uncommon and rare species of Agave here and it's very expensive too rather than other countries where it's more widely accessible.

[@jdt_skincareaddict]

@@QueenofSucculents Thank you so much dear Debra for writing back to me. 🥰🤗🥹💓

[@QueenofSucculents]

@jdtan8381 So you can grow them (probably) you just can't get them! Interesting to know, thanks John.

[@jdt_skincareaddict]

@@QueenofSucculents you are right Debra 🥰☺️ thank you for writing back to me 🙏🏻

[@joycerichardson1810]

As always, lovely video! This is one of my favorite agaves because of its "friendly" nature! (I have a dog!) I have "Kara's Stripes" and "Ray of Light."

[@QueenofSucculents]

Thank you Joyce! Yes, do protect those agaves from your dog, LOL.

[@pattivermeersch7348]

Such great info…love this agave…thanks so much

[@kimmicannon5629]

Thank you for the valuable information.

[@QueenofSucculents]

Thank you, Kimmi, for the kind comment!

[@QueenofSucculents]

Have a question on ANYTHING to do with succulents? Go to debraleebaldwin.com and browse the menu or use the Search bar. Btw, my site is not monetized---no annoying pop-up ads. It's my gift to my followers and the culmination of my career as a horticulturist/photojournalist specializing in succulents. You'll find 100+ pages of tips and ideas; thousands of photos and must-know facts for specific varieties; curated design ideas for gardens, landscapes and containers; interviews with experts; seasonal info; and much more. Use the site as a research tool that also is entertaining---the same goal as my KZbin channel. Q's welcome!

[@JerryTate-jm8fo]

Excellent photos!

[@QueenofSucculents]

Thank you! I love hearing that!

[@ritagarcia30]

I’ve missed you Debra- did you get to take a special vacation❤

[@QueenofSucculents]

Hi Rita -- That's so nice of you! I've been chugging away at a big project that features a special (and eye-candy) category of succulents. In the meantime, I've added posts to my site and sent out my "Celebrating the Joy of Succulents" newsletter. It's the best way to keep up with me...and it's free 😍debraleebaldwin.com/subscribe/

[@user-pw7rr2bd6q]

Nice 👍

[@navdeepsingh-pk5qk]

Cute aunty 😘😘

[@pattierodriguez9705]

Thank you for information I have two and I have them in a pot . I would Love to repot them Or put them on the ground . Any advice . Thank you

[@QueenofSucculents]

Sure, just plant them as you would any potted plant. They also start easily as cuttings. The big mistake most people make is assuming they need a long trunk (and consequently a narrow deep hole). Prepare the soil, trim off any dead lower leaves, cut straight across 4 to 6 inches below the lowest leaves, and set the cutting upright in its new location. It'll feed off its tissues while forming new roots. Discard the rest of the trunk.

[@livingonthedelta7068]

i am so tired i have this to look forward to first thing when the insomnia wakes me up at 12 or 1 see you then

[@QueenofSucculents]

May it put you right back to sleep 🤗😂

[@avocadoslicer2441]

I repotted and trimmed the dry leafs. Will the closed flesh be ok? I won’t water til it calloused but I wanted to make sure it would be safe

[@QueenofSucculents]

Yes, it should be fine.

[@YoladySA]

What do you do when it's overgrown with no pups

[@QueenofSucculents]

You mean it's gotten too big for the space it's in? You can't prune it, but it's possible to replant it elsewhere. See how in the video, beginning at 2:10.

[@Ac_a]

Any tips for growing this in the hot desert? I live in the Inland Empire.

[@QueenofSucculents]

Yes, I explain that and more on the corresponding page of my site: debraleebaldwin.com/succulent-plants/agave-attenuata-foxtail-agave-care-cultivation/