False Agave, Delivered and Planted in Southwest Florida
False agave looks like a big, soft-leaved agave, and it handles Southwest Florida sun, salt and drought without fuss. It makes a bold accent in coastal and dry beds, in a plain green form or a yellow-striped one. It flowers once on a very tall stalk, and UF/IFAS rates the common species as invasive here, so site it with care.
- Light:
- Full sun
- Water:
- Very low; drought tolerant once established, and it needs fast drainage
- Salt:
- High
False Agave (Furcraea) sizes we deliver and plant
Every size below is planted by our crew, set at the right depth and watered in. Send the size and how many, and we text back a planted price, usually within the hour during the day.
| Variety or form | Sizes | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| False Agave | 3 Gallon, 15 Gallon | The plain green form, with long, soft leaves that make the boldest accent at the 15-gallon size and a compact start at 3 gallons. |
| False Agave Variegated | 7 Gallon | The variegated form, with creamy-yellow striping that brightens a dull corner; it comes in the 7-gallon size. |
False Agave (Furcraea) in SW Florida, at a glance
- Mature size here
- 2 to 6 ft tall and 4 to 8 ft wide; the flower stalk can rise 15 ft or more
- Light
- Full sun
- Water
- Very low; drought tolerant once established, and it needs fast drainage
- Salt tolerance
- High
- Cold tolerance
- Frost can mark the leaves and a hard freeze can set it back; coastal Lee and Collier rarely see damage, inland yards sometimes do
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Florida native
- No
- Botanical name
- Furcraea foetida
Where False Agave (Furcraea) works in a SW Florida yard
Use false agave as a single bold accent in a sunny bed, a gravel garden or a coastal planting where little else survives. Give each plant 5 to 8 ft of space, since the rosette spreads wide, and keep it off walkways.
Fine textures like muhly grass and bulbine set it off, and the variegated form brightens a dull corner. Keep it in a managed bed, away from preserves and canal banks.
- Bold architectural accent
- Salt-tolerant coastal beds
- Low-water gravel gardens
How our crew plants it
Drainage decides success: plant in full sun, on a low mound if the bed stays wet in summer, with the crown level with or just above the soil. Water every few days for the first weeks, then ease back to your assigned days, since Lee and Collier allow extra watering on new plantings.
We set it, water it in, and clean up.
Care after planting
- Water only during the first few months and in long dry spells, since soggy soil is the main way to lose one.
- Skip fertilizer or give one light feeding in spring, and remember Lee County, Naples and Marco Island ban nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer from June 1 to September 30.
- Cut the flower stalk as soon as it starts to rise, before plantlets form, and bag the cuttings for the trash rather than the compost pile.
What to watch for
- UF/IFAS rates Mauritius hemp (Furcraea foetida), the usual false agave, as invasive in central and south Florida because its flower stalk drops thousands of rooting plantlets, so keep it in a managed bed, cut the stalk before plantlets form, and choose a native like coontie near preserves or canals.
- Each rosette dies after it flowers, so plan on replacing it or letting a pup take over.
False Agave (Furcraea) questions we hear
Is false agave invasive in Florida?+
UF/IFAS rates Mauritius hemp (Furcraea foetida), the common false agave, as invasive in central and south Florida, and the state invasive species council keeps it on a watch list. The flower stalk produces thousands of plantlets. Keep it in a managed bed and remove the stalk before plantlets form.
Is false agave the same as agave?+
No. Furcraea and Agave are different plants that look alike. False agave leaves are softer and much less spiny, but like true agave it wants full sun, fast drainage and almost no water once established. Both flower once on a tall stalk.
How much sun and water does false agave need?+
Full sun and very little water. Once established, rainfall and your assigned irrigation days are plenty, and soggy soil is what kills it. It handles salt spray, so it works on coastal and canal lots, but a hard freeze can mark the leaves inland.
Updated October 2026
Get a planted price on False Agave (Furcraea)
Tell us what and how many. Quinten prices it from the nursery's live list and texts you back, usually within the hour during the day.
Only need the plant delivered, no planting? It is on our nursery's list at Palm & Plant Co.
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