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Taxon  Report  
Agave americana  L.
American century plant
Agave americana is a shrub that is not native to California.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Subspecies and Varieties:
Genus: Agave
Family: Agavaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Monocot
Jepson eFlora section: monocot

Toxicity: Possible skin irritation from touching the leaf or sap of this plant.
Do not eat the leaf or sap of this plant.

Wetlands: Occurs in non wetlands

Name Status:
Accepted by PLANTS
Information about  Agave americana from other sources
USDA PLANTS Profile (AGAM)

Photos on Calflora

Photos on CalPhotos

Google Images

Photos on iNaturalist

EthnoHerbalist: In Pre-Columbian Mexico, natives cut the flower stem prior to blossoming and collected a sugary liquid called aguamiel (honey water). This sweet water, as well as the sap from the leaves, was fermented to produce pulque. Pulque is the predecessor of tequila.

Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2023. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 12/05/2023).