Plants That Complement Agave Attenuata

Ornamental Grasses

• Ornamental grasses thrive in well-drained sites in full sun, and provide a graceful, fluid contrast to spineless century plant's solid foliage. Blue grama "Blonde Ambition" (Bouteloua gracilis "Blonde Ambition") is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 10, and echoes spineless century plant's coloring with its bluish-gray leaves growing in clumps 12 to 15 inches tall. In summer it bears contrasting yellow-green flower heads. Bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix) also provides interesting flower heads, which resemble bottlebrushes. Appearing in early through late fall, they mature from green to brown. Growing 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 1 1/2 feet wide, bottlebrush grass is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Succulents

• Similar to spineless century plant foliage, succulents' leaves are fleshy and tough to cope with hot, dry conditions. Stalked bulbine (Bulbine frutescens) provides an interesting contrast, growing in clumps of narrow, plump, green leaves topped by spikes of yellow flowers from spring through summer. This evergreen succulent grows 1 to 2 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, and is hardy in USDA zones 8 through 11. Firecracker echeveria (Echeveria setosa) offers alternative foliage, bearing wide, fuzzy, gray-green leaves in clumps 3 to 6 inches tall and wide. Hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11, firecracker echeveria also provides red and yellow flowers from spring through early summer.

Cacti

• Complementing spineless century plant's desert-garden style, cacti are well-suited to heat and drought. Bunny ears (Opuntia microdasys) is named after its bright-red juvenile leaves, that appear in pairs like bunny ears. Also bearing yellow spring blooms, bunny ears is a segemented cactus and forms clumps 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 5 feet wide. Easter lily cactus (Echinopsis oxygona) is a cylinder-shaped, clump-forming cactus that grows 1 feet tall and 2 feet wide and bears striking, large, pink spring flowers. Both plants are hardy in USDA zones 8 through 11.

Ground Cover

• Ground cover plants provide a visual link between spineless century plant and it companions in the landscape. Stonecrop "Ogon" (Sedum makinoi "Ogon") is drought and heat tolerant, and forms a carpet of bright yellow foliage 2 inches tall and 12 inches wide, contrasting spineless century plant's blue shades. Hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9, it also bears yellow star-shaped summer flowers. Pussy toes (Antennaria parlinii) offers mats of complementary grayish, woolly foliage 6 to 12 inches tall and 9 to 18 inches wide. Bearing white spring flowers, pussy toes is suitable for USDA zones 5 through 9.