Agave mystery solved

In my previous post about the new Patina series planters by Veradek, made of a metal-plastic composite that rusts much like Corten weathering steel, I gave you a sneak peek at my latest agave addition, ‘Sierra Azul’:

Agave ‘Sierra Azul’ in a Kona planter from Veradek’s Patina series

This agave has been a mystery. There is virtually no information about it online. What is it? Where did it come from? Where can I get one?

In posts on Instagram and Facebook, I asked if anybody knew more about ‘Sierra Azul’. The answers didn’t disappoint. From what I gathered, it’s a cross created by well-known plant explorer and hybridizer Kelly Griffin, currently Succulent Plant Development Manager at Altman Plants, the country’s largest grower of succulents. The parents are Agave cerulata, a very drought-tolerant species native to Baja California, and Agave kristenii, a species in the gypsum agave complex (Agave gypsophila/pablocarrilloi).

Below are pictures of the two parents — vivid proof that hybrids are often far more attractive than their parents.

Agave cerulata at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ

Agave cerulata at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ

Agave kristenii at Rancho Soledad Nursery in San Diego County, with bulbils on the right. Not exactly the kind of agave you would plant in your garden.

But Agave kristenii seems to make good hybrids. Here’s one created by Jeremy Spath of Hidden Agave, Agave kristenii × potatorum:

Agave kristenii × potatorum, a Jeremy Spath hybrid

But back to Agave ‘Sierra Azul’, i.e. Agave cerulata × kristenii. It really is a beauty:

Agave ‘Sierra Azul’

Agave ‘Sierra Azul’ is sold at Oasis Water Efficient Gardens, the retail outlet of Altman Plants in Escondido, in northern San Diego County. In addition, somebody else reported that ‘Sierra Azul’ has been spotted at Lowe’s locations in San Diego County.

In practical terms, you probably won’t find this spectacular hybrid in your local garden center yet unless you live in San Diego or Los Angeles County. But there’s hope that it will become more widely available next year. In the meantime, you can find ‘Sierra Azul’ on eBay and Etsy, sold by folks who buy them at Oasis or Lowe’s in San Diego County (and, understandably, mark them up quite a bit).

Check out these red fused teeth!

A lot of plants are hyped to no end, but ‘Sierra Azul’ really is unique. I’m not aware of any other agave that looks like this. Once it becomes more widely available, I have no doubt it will be very popular.

Agave cerulata is reported to be hardy down to 10°F, but Agave kristenii is a tropical species that doesn’t tolerate much cold. I expect ‘Sierra Azul’ to be somewhere in the middle, i.e. hardy to the high 20s.

© Gerhard Bock, 2025. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.