Plant These Drought-Tolerant Beauties for an Easy-Care Garden Year-Round

This is the agave to plant near walkways or paths because its leaves are soft and spineless so no one will get poked. It also comes in a variety of beautiful colors from the green (A. attenuata) to the blue-grey (A. attenuata ‘Boutin Blue’ or ‘Nova’) to the variegated green and yellow (A. attenuata ‘Variegata’). Grows to 5 feet tall by 8 feet wide in clumps.

Golden barrel cactus is gorgeous when backlit by the sun. The golden spines light up and the entire plant looks like it’s turned into a gold orb. Eventually reaching 2 to 3 feet wide, this cactus will form clusters. It looks best when planted in masses or in a grid for a modern look. Be careful, because this one has sharp spines.

‘Blue Flame’ is special because it has blue-gray leaves that curl upward at the tips, resembling a flame. This hybrid between A. shawii and A. attenuata is easy to grow, beautiful, and also less spiky than other agaves. Grows to around 3 feet tall and wide.

‘Blue Glow’ (pictured in the foreground) is a slow growing variety, but it’s worth the wait to get a mature plant that has gorgeous blue-green leaves edged in red. It forms perfectly shapes rosettes that glow when backlit by the sun. Grows to 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide.

This tree aloe looks gorgeous as a specimen plant in a large container or in a prominent planting bed. It’s also a wonderful focal point in the garden. All who see it will ask, “What’s that?!” Coast aloe can grow up to 10 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It blooms in winter.

The swirling form of spiral aloe (pictured just above the driftwood towards the foreground) is attractive to all who see it. If you don’t grow this agave, you should. It’s great planted in containers, especially if you need to move it indoors during the winter to protect it from freezes. This geometric wonder grows under 1 foot tall by 2 to 3 feet wide. It needs especially good drainage to thrive.

If you’re looking for a beautiful water-wise hedge that’s evergreen, look no further than torch aloe. This is an extremely easy aloe to grow. It takes sun to part-shade, inland heat, or coastal conditions. It blooms in late fall through winter. It’s not super hardy, so provide protection below 25 degrees. Grows to around 8 feet tall and wide.

This blue-gray chalky colored Dudleya is a California native. It needs excellent drainage to thrive and can even be grown in almost pure gravel soils. Giant chalk dudleya is perfect for growing in rock gardens, crevices, or next to boulders. Grows to under 1 foot tall by around 18 inches wide.

This agave (the darker green plant pictured) grows in a perfect little rosette. It stays small, is easy to grow, and can take temperatures down to 10 degrees. It’s also great for small nooks, pots, or around paths because even when it matures, it only grows to around 1 foot tall by 2 feet wide. It’s a slow-growing variety.

The curling leaves of octopus agave are double-take worthy. Plant this agave where it’s visible and on display. This agave brings an architectural presence to any area of the garden. Plus, it has one of the most gorgeous flowers. Once it matures (after roughly 10 years), the large yellow flowers grow to 15 or 20 feet tall. The plant grows to around 4 feet tall by 6 feet wide.

Whale’s tongue agave is known for its beautifully shaped leaves that are a unique powdery blue to silver color and really wide and flat (resembling a whale’s tongue). Beware, this agave is spiky, so be careful when weeding around it. It’s worth growing this agave despite the dangers of weeding around it. This stunning variety has a more open rosette form. Grows to 3 to 4 feet tall and 6 feet tall.

The smooth leaves of this agave are simply stunning—they have a silvery hue. The architectural form of this agave is also attractive because it grows in a more upright form than other agaves. Grows to 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide.