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{{SPlantbox
| name = ''Agave''
|familia=Agavaceae
| common_names = Agave
|genus=Agave
| growth_habit = herbaceous
|common_name=Agave
|habit=cacti-succulent
| wide = <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
|poisonous=Some species juice cause rash
|lifespan=perennial
| poisonous = some have juice causing acute rash
|exposure=sun, part-sun
| lifespan = perennial
|sun_ref=Sunset National Garden Book
| exposure = full sun, part-shade{{SSN}}
|water=moderate, dry
| water = usually moderate to little{{SSN}}
|water_ref=Sunset National Garden Book
| features = <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
|Temp Metric=°F
| hardiness = <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
|sunset_zones=vary by species
| bloom = <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
|image=Agave americana a-m.jpg
|image_width=240
| sunset_zones = vary by species
|image_caption=Agave americana (Century Plant)
| image = Agave americana a-m.jpg
| image_width = 240px <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
| image_caption = [[Agave_americana|''Agave americana'' (Century Plant)]]
}}
}}
Chiefly [[Mexico|Mexican]], agaves occur also in the southern and western [[United States]] and in central and tropical [[South America]]. They are [[Succulent plant|succulents]] with a large [[Rosette (botany)|rosette]] of thick fleshy leaves, each ending generally in a sharp point and with a spiny margin; the stout stem is usually short, the leaves apparently springing from the root. Along with plants from the related genus ''[[Yucca]]'', various ''Agave'' species are popular [[ornamental plant]]s.
Each rosette is [[monocarpic]] and grows slowly to flower only once. During flowering, a tall stem or "mast" grows from the center of the leaf rosette and bears a large number of shortly tubular flowers. After development of fruit, the original plant dies, but [[Basal shoot|sucker]]s are frequently produced from the base of the stem, which become new plants.
It is a common misconception that agaves are [[cactus|cacti]]. They are not related to cacti, nor are they closely related to ''[[Aloe]]'' whose leaves are similar in appearance.
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[[Image:Agave_chiapensis_whole.jpg|thumb|right|200px|the large flower spike of ''[[Agave_chiapensis|Agave chiapensis]]'']]
[[Image:Agave_chiapensis_whole.jpg|thumb|right|200px|the large flower spike of ''[[Agave_chiapensis|Agave chiapensis]]'']]
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