Agave shawii Engelmann

Shaw’s agave, coastal agave

This agave is native to the Pacific coast of Baja California, as far north as the southernmost part of California.

Plants: Rosettes can reach 3′ (91 cm) in height and 5′ (1.5 m) around. Plants are sometimes solitary, but may produce multiple offsets.

Leaves: Narrow to ovate, 8–20″ long ⨉ 3–8″ wide (20–50 ⨉ 8–20 cm), light to dark green, and glossy. Teeth may or may not be present along leaf edges, varying even in a single plant. Leaves are tipped by spines ¾–1½″ (2–4 cm) long.

Flowers: Like other agaves, it produces a spectacular flowerhead on a stalk 6½–13′ (2–4 m) high, with branching flowers at the top that are yellow or reddish. The flowering display is terminal to the agave, though by this time the plant has often spread clones of itself.

Fruits: 2–2½″ (5.5–7 cm) in size, containing fertilized (black-colored) and unfertilized (white-colored) seeds.

Habitats: Maritime succulent scrub, found along the Pacific Coast from northern Baja California to southwesternmost San Diego County in California.

The flowering spikes remind me of century plants, but century plants are generally larger (with leaf rosettes up to 13′ (4.0 m) in diameter). And while this agave is found near the coast, century plants are found in much of Mexico.

Edibility: Sap from broken leaves causes painful irritation or severe dermatitis.

Online References:

References:

Older scientific or horticultural names

Agave shawii description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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