AGAVE COLLECTING


The Agave plants that we use grow at an elevation of about 4000 - 6000 ft in the deserts of Arizona.  These photos were taken near the Superstition Mountains just East of Phoenix.


The fallen stalks of Agave we use are not harvested until a year or two after the plant has died and spread it's seeds but they still need to be separated from the base of the decaying plant.

There are many species of Agave and they are often called the Century Plant.  Some species may take 20 to 40 years to flower while others only 4 - 8 years.  When the plant does flower, the stalks can grow as much as 2 feet a day and can reach a height of up to 30 ft. This young stalk is over 6 ft tall.