Bloomipedia
Palmer's agave (Agave palmeri)
Photo: sprcrkwild via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Palmer's agave

Agave palmeri

Palmer's agave (Agave palmeri) is a shrub in the Asparagaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to Arizona

Palmer's agave is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

2states where USDA records it
4,506AZ sightings*
4,767U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Arizona

Quick look

Agave palmeri is an especially large member of the genus Agave, in the family Asparagaceae.

  • It belongs to the Asparagaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 4,506 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #19 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Arizona (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (22 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
Arizona
Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records palmer's agave in 2 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, New Mexico.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Gila, Graham, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 9 counties across 2 states; the most are in Arizona (6), New Mexico (3).

Other Agave on Bloomipedia (3): Parry's agave, Utah agave, Schott's century plant.

More from the Asparagaceae family (34 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Yuccas, Solomon's plume (false Solomon's seal), Canada mayflower, Blue dicks, Common star-of-Bethlehem, Star-flowered lily-of-the-valley, Chaparral yucca, Mojave yucca.

More Arizona flowers

Soaptree yucca (Yucca elata)

Soaptree yucca

Yucca elata

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in AZ
Banana yucca (Yucca baccata)

Banana yucca

Yucca baccata

Native

🌼 Blooms in AZ: March–May
Blue dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus)

Blue dicks

Dipterostemon capitatus

🌼 Blooms in AZ: February–April

Sources