Agave shawii var. shawii

Shaw agave, Shaw Agave, Shaw's agave, Shaw's agave

Family: Agavaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.1

Shaw agave is a rare (CNPS 2B.1) California native shrub found in southern coastal Southern California in southwest San Diego County on coastal bluffs at elevations below 100 meters. Flowering from September to May, this plant produces yellow to reddish flowers in large panicle-like clusters up to 4 meters tall with striking yellow stamens. Growing as a single rosette with stems 0.5 to 2 meters tall, it forms a dramatic architectural plant with thick, rigid structure. Its leaves are narrow-ovate, 20 to 50 centimeters long, featuring distinctive marginal teeth 5 to 6 millimeters long and a sharp terminal spine 2 to 4 centimeters long. The fruit is 5.5 to 7 centimeters long, completing this remarkable coastal succulent's reproductive cycle.

Habitat: Coastal bluffs, historically nearby mesas, foothills

Bloom period: Sep-May

Elevation: < 100[< 300] m

Bioregions: s SCo (sw San Diego Co.)

California counties: San Diego

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.