Bloomipedia
Parry's agave (Agave parryi)
Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Parry's agave

Agave parryi

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

Native in the lower 48

Parry's agave is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states.

3states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
4,226U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Arizona, New Mexico

Quick look

Agave parryi, known as Parry's agave or mescal agave, is a flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It is a slow-growing succulent perennial native to Arizona, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.

  • 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 3 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona and New Mexico. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 2,483 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #37 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,081 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #45 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (42 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
ArizonaNativefew records (20)2,483
New MexicoNativefew records (16)1,081

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
New Mexico
Not listed Not on New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Mexico. 19.21.2.9 NMAC
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 peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The leaves and stalk are edible” NC State Extension

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 parry's agave in 3 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, New Mexico, Texas.

Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, Maricopa, Navajo, Pima, Santa Cruz.

New Mexico counties with USDA records: Catron, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Sierra.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 17 counties across 3 states; the most are in Arizona (9), New Mexico (5), Texas (3).

Other Agave on Bloomipedia (3): Palmer'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
Palmer's agave (Agave palmeri)

Palmer's agave

Agave palmeri

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in AZ

Sources