Prickly Plants: Agave Favorites for Dry Gardens

September 28, 2025 Aldrin Espinosa

Prickly New Plants

Related pillar guide: Continue with the water-wise gardening guide for the broader planning framework.

Spiky, Stunning, and Totally Drought-Tolerant

Check out my super cool shirt!

Hi all! It’s Megan blogging at ya from the sign department here at Annie’s. Part of my super cool job as sign-maker is putting new plants online. I’ve also been known to pose with a chicken in my hand while modeling a sweet t-shirt.

Agave parryi hanging at Huntington

This week I’m bringing you two of my favorite new prickly plants. I’ve been a fan of Agave parryi after first laying eyes on it in the succulent section at the SF Botanical Garden, but this past December I made my first trip to Huntington Gardens (succulent junky heaven on earth) where they have an entire posse of them planted amongst the ginormous barrel cacti.

Agave parryi

Propagator Claire Woods describes it best, “I think Agave parryi looks like it was designed rather than grown. Beautiful symmetry & form, compact size, plus those grey blue leaves & black thorns?” Bonus points for drought tolerance AND deer resistance! They stay relatively small (1-3’ wide and high) compared to many of the big honking Agaves out there. Shortly after moving to California from Agave-less Wisconsin I made the mistake of planting an Agave americana I found free on craigslist, having no idea they could grow up to six feet tall, and 10 feet wide. Oops! Click here for more info about Agave parryi.

Ribes speciosum hummingbird party (photo courtesy of marlin harms)

Want the neighborhood hummingbirds to party like rock stars in your garden? Ribes speciosum will have the hummers raging on its sweet fuchsia like flowers as early as January through late-Spring. Its pokey thorns serve to protect the partiers from birdy hunters (kitties, we’re talking about you).

Fabulous fuchsia-like flowers

This California native is typically found growing in Coastal Sage Scrub, Chaparral, and isn’t the least bit finicky about soil. Got clay or sand, no problem! It’s even drought tolerant! Check it out on our site here. Stay tuned for more new plants next week!

Related Annie’s guides: summer-dry and drought-tolerant garden guide.