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Weber's Century Plant (Agave weberi), whole plant
  • Weber's Century Plant — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • Weber's Century Plant — seasonal appearance
  • Weber's Century Plant in a garden setting

Weber's Century Plant

Agave weberi

Easy · Beginner friendly

About Weber's Century Plant

Weber Agave is a large gracefully arching rosette succulent reaching 4-5 feet tall and 8-10 feet wide, with smooth blue-gray leaves and minimal marginal teeth. Native to northeastern Mexico and naturalized through the Gulf coastal region, it is one of the most elegant large agaves with a softer appearance than most spiny species. Highly tolerant of heat, drought, salt spray, and even occasional flooding.

  • Drought-tolerant
  • Architectural
  • Evergreen
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to 10°F (-12°C)
USDA hardiness zones 8–11

How to care for Weber's Century Plant

Watering

  • Springevery 21 days
  • Summerevery 21 days
  • Fallevery 30 days
  • Winterevery 60 days

Soil · Fast-draining

  • Main mixSand + pumice + soil 1:1:150%
  • DrainagePumice / gravel50%

Keep grit at half the mix or more — this soil is meant to dry out fast.

FERTILIZER

  • Springevery 60 days
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At a Glance

  • NativeNorth America
  • Height4–6 ft (1.2–1.8 m)
  • Spread8–10 ft (2.4–3 m)
  • Flower colorYellow
  • Foliage colorBlue-green
  • SoilSandy, Well-drained
  • LocationsYard

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

May–Jul

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Greenish-yellow flowers on 20+ ft stalk after 15-25 years

Toxicity

Humans Moderate · Pets Moderate

calcium oxalate raphides and saponins

Moderate

  • Leaf
  • Sap
  • Contact
  • Ingestion

EXPOSURE Touching leaves and sap. Eating leaves and sap.

EFFECT Contact dermatitis.

NOTE Documented concern for humans: Contact dermatitis.

Moderate

  • Leaf
  • Sap
  • Ingestion

EXPOSURE Eating leaves and sap.

EFFECT Oral irritation and vomiting.

NOTE Agave listed by ASPCA as toxic. Sap traditionally fermented for pulque/mezcal.

Moderate

  • Leaf
  • Sap
  • Ingestion

EXPOSURE Eating leaves and sap.

EFFECT Oral irritation and vomiting.

NOTE Agave listed by ASPCA as toxic. Sap traditionally fermented for pulque/mezcal.

Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

DISTRIBUTION

Weber's Century Plant · Native
  • Native
  • Introduced
  • North America

History

Illustrated historical scene for Weber's Century Plant

Agave weberi, Weber agave, is a large monocarpic succulent long known only from cultivation in northeastern Mexico and the southern United States, though recent work has documented wild populations in the Sierra Madre Oriental foothills of Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosí. French horticulturists Jules Émile Poisson (for Cels nursery) formally described it in 1901, honoring German physician and naturalist Friedrich Weber (1781-1823), a student of agaves. The rosette forms a majestic 1.2-1.8 meter tall and 2-3 meter wide fountain of smooth broad lanceolate leaves in soft blue-green with pale margins and only scattered small marginal teeth and a short terminal spine—one of the largest 'friendly' agaves for landscape use.

Yellow flowers on a 7-9 meter panicle appear after 15-25 years. The species has long been cultivated for its sweet sap to produce pulque and mezcal in Mexico, and is also a major ornamental in Mediterranean and arid landscapes worldwide.

Described in 1905 by French botanist Jean-Baptiste Cels and named for Frédéric Weber, a Parisian dentist and agave specialist.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

Weber's Century Plant stands for majesty, its broad blue-gray leaves arching outward like the spokes of a living crown that dominates whatever landscape holds it. In rural Mexico it has long served as a living fence, marking boundaries and offering shelter, so it also carries a quieter meaning of hospitality. To grow agave is to invite a slow, regal presence into the garden, one that gathers its strength for decades before its single, spectacular bloom.

  • Majesty — imposing graceful form dominating the landscape
  • Hospitality — traditional living fence in rural Mexico

Where the Name Comes From

The name Weber's Century Plant describes its long wait before a dramatic flowering stalk. Honors Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber (1830-1903), French agave taxonomist.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Massive blue-gray rosette anchors xeric courtyards
  • Architectural evergreen form for desert and Mediterranean beds

Related plants

More Agave plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Weber's Century Plant?

In summer, water about every 21 days; in winter, about every 60 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does Weber's Century Plant need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is Weber's Century Plant toxic to cats or dogs?

Pets Moderate (Dogs Moderate · Cats Moderate) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Is Weber's Century Plant easy to grow?

Yes — it is considered an easy, beginner-friendly plant.

When does Weber's Century Plant bloom?

It typically blooms May–Jul in the Northern Hemisphere.

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