Species PlantsDesert Agave

Desert Agave

Agave deserti

CommonPlant
Illustration of Desert Agave (Agave deserti)
Safety note: Leaf spines are sharp and can puncture skin.

Desert Agave is a compact succulent native to the Sonoran Desert of California, Arizona, and Baja California. Indigenous peoples have used all parts of this plant for food, fiber, and medicine for thousands of years, roasting the starchy core for sustenance. Bighorn sheep scrape and eat the flower stalks.

Habitat
Rocky desert slopes and washes of the Sonoran Desert
Diet
Roasted stalks and seeds used by indigenous peoples; browsed by bighorn sheep
How common
Common

Best time to see a Desert Agave

The best time to see a Desert Agave is January–May, when about 67% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 6,894 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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