One of the drawbacks of utilizing several agaves (Agave spp.) As landscaping plants would be that the stout pointed spines that look along the leaf edges and the spine in the leaf tip. The plants cannot be put where passersby or pets may encounter them, as they can cause painful wounds and pruning the plants or weeding around them is hard. Fortunately, there are species with spineless and delicate- or blunt-tipped leaves which are simpler to utilize.
Spider Agave
Native to rocky cliffs of central Mexico, spider agave (Agave bracteosa) have arching, flexible, slim leaves growing from a central point, which makes them resemble many-legged spiders perched on the rocks. Medium-green leaves are approximately 2 feet long. Spider agave produces spike-like flower stalks bearing copious yellow blooms and is one of the very few agave varieties that does not die after blooming. It grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11.
Queen Victoria Agave
Dark green leaves of Queen Victoria agave, also referred to as royal agave (Agave victoriae-reginae), are pencilled with pure white. Spineless leaves are edged in reddish-brown. Although leaves of those species agave are tipped with a dark spine, the cultivar “Compacta” possesses smaller, blunter terminal spines. This agave does not form offsets and have to be grown from seed. It comes from central Mexico and grows in USDA zones 9 through 11. A pretty small compact agave, it is 18 to 24 inches wide and tall, which makes it suitable for container growing. It is slow-growing and long-lived, producing a spike-like 13- to 15-foot-tall flower stalk when mature, after which it dies.
Twin-Flowered Agave
The growth form of twin-flowered agave (Agave geminflora) is distinct within the genus. Very slender spineless leaves create a airy, domed basal rosette which has a delicate look, although this is a drought- and also heat-tolerant plant. Also suited for containers in addition to gardens, this is a slow-growing species. It tends to be solitary, with a few offsets produced in older age. Paired yellow flowers appear along a 8- to 10-foot-tall blossom stem. This plant is indigenous to Mexico and grows in USDA zones 9 through 11.
Foxtail Agave
Leaves of foxtail agave, also referred to as spineless century plant (Agave attenuata), have broad, tapering 18- to 28-inch-long light blue or green leaves. Basal rosettes are 2 to 3 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide. They’re used as specimen or accent plants and also in mass plantings. After about 10 to 15 years, foxtail agave produces a 5- to 10-foot-tall blossom stem that curves and droops in the last end. Many yellow-green flowers create the arched fuzzy-looking blossom stem resemble a tail, hence the common name foxtail agave. This is a frost-tender agave, hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12.