When they became a fad in the 2000s, it was one of the very few fads that was actually sensible for California. Agaves certainly are not for every landscape, and certainly do not suit everyone’s taste, but they are ideal for the climate here. In some regards, they are more practical than the more popular of the native specie that tend to be scrubby looking and short lived. Agaves really should have become trendy a long time ago.
The problem with the fad, like so many other fads, is that it caused the object of desire to be overly popular for a while. Many agaves consequently got planted into situations where they did not belong. Landscape designers often forced them into the gardens of clients who did not know what they were, or did not even like their bold style. To show them off most prominently, designers often put the agaves next to walkways, driveways and doorways, rather in the background.
Those who know agaves know that they belong in the background because of their nasty foliar teeth! Technically, they are neither thorns not spines, but they are so wicked that they are known by both terms. These teeth are remarkably sharp and stout. Next to walkways and doorways, they can inflict significant injury to anyone unfortunate enough to bump into them. Next to a driveway, they can puncture tires! The foliar teeth of agaves are so dangerous that they do not belong anywhere in the gardens of homes where children or dogs live.
What is worse about those that are too close to walkways and such is that they grow! Landscape designers are notorious for installing small agaves that grow large in tight spots, merely because they were so cute and innocent when they were small.
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Tony Tomeo 
As it happens, one of my own commenters was offering a similar opinion about the poor placement of agaves in her town, and what she said certainly echoes what you’ve said here. I’m going to share this post with her; I suspect she’ll be nodding in agreement all the way through.
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I should have written a more thorough article about it. This one is rather brief. Although I happen to like agaves, I have started to dislike them in the past many years just because they have been so problematic.
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I know nothing of these but why not the Ungava attenuata as a landscape plant instead of the usual as then there are no spikes to contend with?
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Agave attenuata is one of the few agaves that is sensitive to frost. We do not grow it here much. The only specimens I know of are in sheltered spots, or on the coast. Agave attenuata does very well in coastal regions of Southern California and the Los Angeles region, and often gets used very properly. However, it is not one of the ‘trendy’ agaves.
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This reminds me of a friend of mine who lives in Portland, named Loree. Because of her love of spiky, thorny plants, she has a garden blog called Danger Garden.
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Yes, you sent me links to it quite a while ago. Portland seems like an odd place for agaves, although some of they yuccas would do fine there.
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The agave attenuate is one of my favourite plants, so easy care. But Jack doesn’t like them, but they are still in the garden…..
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That is one that does well in Southern California, but not here. It is very sensitive to frost, and is very ugly if it gets damaged. Brent, my colleague down south, constantly reminds me of the specie that he can grow, but I can not grow.
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It doesn’t grow here and, after reading this, I’m glad. I am enchanted by the blooms of Agave attenuata when I visit San Diego though.
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Those are weird bloom, with the way they grow upward and then curve back downward. Most agaves bloom with stately tall towers of bloom that look like they were built there.
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Agaves are very popular here in Austin, and while I appreciate their beauty in the right spot, really, so many are NOT in the right spot. And, they get huge and are expensive to remove when their time is up. I have some in pots and that’s fine–I yank them out when they get too big and replant with a pup. Good post!
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Thank you. On the way to Oklahoma, I noticed that agaves and yuccas were more popular in Arizona and New Mexico as well, as they should be. They looked grand on the freeway through Albuquerque. Since I did not stop to see many home gardens, I could only imagine that they have the same potential for problems that they have here, but are more common.
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Reblogged this on Tony Tomeo and commented:
Again, due to an abundance of ‘Horridculture’ posts, this one got recycled today rather than on Wednesday, when ‘Horridculture’ typically posts.
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I have learned to like agaves after seeing them grown so widely in the US. The vicious spikes serve a purpose to the plant outside the domestic setting in which it is grown to be admired. I have been stabbed by quite a few of my sweetheart’s potted plants when he moves them inside for the winter. It is reckless to grow them near walkways.
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Oh my! I would not want to bring them inside for the winter!
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