Agaves doing a runner

According to estimates I found online, 20% to 30% of the documented 270+ agave species remain solitary throughout their life, while 70% to 80% produce offsets (or pups) — vegetative clones that emerge either directly from the base of the mother plant or at the end of underground runners connected to it.

In most offsetting species, the pups pop up very close to the parent plant:

Agave lophantha ‘Quadricolor’ with lots of pups

However, some agaves do this:

Agave parryi var. huachucensis ‘Excelsior’

Their pups pop up at a distance from the mother plant. The Agave parryi var. huachucensis ‘Excelsior’ you see in the photo above has both offsets that cling tightly to the mother and others that travel quite a way. The pup in the middle circle is about 1 foot from the mother plant, the one in top circle almost 4 feet (!) away.

In fact, the pup in the top circle emerged not far from a different agave (Agave parrasana ‘Fireball’) on the far side of the mound:

Agave parrasana ‘Fireball’ at the top, but the two pups towards the bottom are from the Agave parryi var. huachucensis ‘Excelsior’ on the far side of the mound

The agaves in the photos above are long gone, but below are a couple of agaves in the garden that are doing a runner right now.

The first one is a variegated beauty, Agave parryi var. truncata ‘Orizaba’:

Agave parryi var. truncata ‘Orizaba’

Agave parryi var. truncata ‘Orizaba’ pup emerging almost 5 inches away

The second is Agave pintilla (a relative of the Queen Victoria agave) in a rectangular Corten planter in the front yard:

Agave pintilla on the right

Pup emerging from the base of the mother

Another one emerging 10 inches away

On the other side, one is just 2 inches away...

...a second one 12 inches away...

...and a third one 18 inches away

The one that’s 18 inches away is squeezed in tight between the edge of the planter and several rocks

I did a little bit of research, and experts think that producing offsets on underground runners, technically rhizomes, is an adaptation that increases the plant’s chances of survival and reproduction (much like the production of bulbils mentioned here). Instead of simply relying on pups that emerge right from the base, these species also establish new plants — and possibly future colonies — at a safe distance from the parent.

There are a couple of real advantages with this approach:

• In dry climates, seed production is unpredictable and seedlings often have low survival rates. Producing genetically identical offsets is a reliable way to persist, especially where pollinators or favorable germination conditions are scarce.
• Offsets that emerge several feet away don’t compete with the mother plant for water, nutrients, and sunlight. In arid environments, this can make a significant difference.
• A runner can find deeper soil, a crack in bedrock, or an area that collects more moisture, allowing its offspring to establish where conditions are better.

Species that commonly produce offsets on long runners include Agave americana, Agave angustifolia, Agave murpheyi, and Agave sisalana.

Interestingly, the tendency to produce long runners often correlates with habitat. Agaves growing on open alluvial flats or grasslands, where there is room to spread, are more likely to develop rhizomes. Species adapted to steep rocky cliffs or narrow ledges usually form tight clumps or remain solitary because there is little benefit to sending runners into unsuitable terrain.

There you have it. More than you ever wanted to know, but I tend to disappear into rabbit holes.

© Gerhard Bock, 2026. All rights reserved. To receive all new posts by email, please subscribe here.