Large, well armed agave with substantial stems sometimes up to 8-10 feet tall, becoming somewhat arborescent at maturity. It looks more like a yucca than an agave once it has a big trunk. Rosettes may reach up to 6 feet wide but typically the plants around here get to about half that size. I would imagine that ample water, nutrient-rich soil, and partial shade would favor giantism. Leaves are concave and they have sharp, non-decurrent terminal spines and wavy margins, with a few interstitial teeth. The inflorescence reaches about 10-15 feet tall, with several branches on the upper half, often producing bulbils.

This species usually produces basal offsets, but its tendency to do so seems to be affected by whether conditions are favorable or restrictive. In our climate (7-10" annual rainfall, zero during summer) it survives and does fairly well in very nutrient poor soil without supplemental water. Propagation is usually by bulbils or offsets. This agave is relatively common in cultivation and very practical for low-maintenance public landscaping in arid climates.

The geographical origin of this plant, a presumed cultigen, is not certain, but Florida seems to be the leading candidate. Plants found in Yucatán (peninsular tip of southern Mexico) may be feral and not native to there. In any case one would assume the species does well in warm, humid places (given proper drainage), in addition to its pretty outstanding drought tolerance.

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