For the ethnic group in Ghana, see Agave people. Agave nectar replacement plants in this genus may be considered perennial, because they require several to many years to mature and flower.

Along with plants from the closely related genera Yucca, Hesperoyucca, and Hesperaloe, various Agave species are popular ornamental plants in hot, dry climates, as they require very little supplemental water to survive. The succulent leaves of most Agave species have sharp marginal teeth, an extremely sharp terminal spine, and are very fibrous inside. The stout stem is usually extremely short, which may make the plant appear as though it is stemless. Agave rosettes are mostly monocarpic, though some species are polycarpic. These suckers go on to form new plants after the original rosette desiccates and dies. The agave root system, consisting of a network of shallow rhizomes, allows the agave to efficiently capture moisture from rain, condensation, and dew. Agave leaves store the plant’s water and are crucial to its continued existence.

The genus Agave was erected by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, initially with four species. The first listed was Agave americana, now the type species. Agaves and close relatives have long presented significant taxonomic difficulty. In some of the older classifications, Agave was divided into two subgenera, Agave and Littaea, based on the form of the inflorescence. These two subgenera are probably not monophyletic. Hybrids between species in Agave subg.

Mangave when Manfreda was recognized as a separate genus. Some commonly grown species include Agave americana, A. A row of agaves in bloom in the Karoo region of South Africa: The inflorescences of the plants are clearly visible. One of the most familiar species is A. The name “century plant” refers to the long time the plant takes to flower. Europe about the middle of the 16th century and is now naturalized as well as widely cultivated as an ornamental, as it is in the Americas. In the variegated forms, the leaf has a white or yellow marginal or central stripe.