Flower profile
Schott's century plant
Agave schottii
Schott's century plant is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in March–December.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona
Quick look
Agave schottii, also known by the common name Amole, Schott's century plant, also called shin dagger or Sonoran shin dagger, is a shrub species within the genus Agave. It is a member of the subgenus Littaea. There are two widely recognized varieties of this species: Agave schotti var. schottii and Agave schottii var. treleasei.
- 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
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 1,251 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #78 among the 109 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
Schott's century plant gift ideas
Handmade schott's century plant gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Schott's century plant art print
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Schott's century plant greeting card
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Schott's century plant mug
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Schott's century plant earrings
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Schott's century plant embroidery pattern
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Schott's century plant sticker
When does it bloom?
In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in March–December.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Arizona
- Variety listed Only Agave schottii var. treleasei is on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025) (highly safeguarded (protected; no removal)). NatureServe: S5, secure 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.
Please don't pick or dig this flower: Agave schottii var. treleasei is on Arizona's rare plant list (highly safeguarded). AAC R3-3 App. A
Can you eat it?
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.
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 schott's century plant 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, Graham, Pima, Santa Cruz.
More Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile AGSC3.
- iNaturalist, Agave schottii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Agave schottii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Agave schottii (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Mark Pollock via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.