Agave schidigera 'Black Widow' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Black Widow agave

Agave schidigera 'Black Widow'

£25.99
Overwinter under coverSun-lovingEvergreen
Pot size
17cm / 2L £25.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Agave schidigera 'Black Widow' forms a compact rosette of narrow, dark green leaves edged with long, curling white threads, the web that gives it its name. It is slow and stays small, about 40cm high and 50cm across, so it suits a pot or a small space.

It is rated RHS H2, with a minimum of about 1°C, so it is not frost hardy. Summer it outside in full sun, then bring it under glass, into a greenhouse or conservatory, for winter and keep it fairly dry.

Once established it is drought tolerant, at home in a sunny patio pot or a summer gravel display. Each leaf ends in a very sharp spine, so place it away from paths.

What you receive: a young plant in a 17cm (2L) pot.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Black Widow agave

Plant me in full sun and bring me under cover before the frosts.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Black Widow agave

Agave schidigera 'Black Widow' needs full sun and well-drained soil. It is frost tender and must come under cover for winter.

Good for

Architectural Dry & Gravel Gardens Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H2 · Tender · down to around 1°C

RHS H2, minimum about 1°C. Overwinter it frost-free in a greenhouse or conservatory and keep the compost fairly dry. Wet is as much a risk as cold: frozen water on the leaves can leave pock marks, so keep it under cover through cold or wet spells.

Position

Full sun

Full sun. Stand it outdoors for summer and under glass for winter. Keep it clear of paths and seating, where the sharp leaf tips could catch someone. It makes a neat architectural accent beside other agaves and succulents.

Soil

SandWell-drainedAcid pHNeutral pH

Sandy, very free-draining compost, neutral to acid. In a pot, add plenty of grit so water drains straight through.

Watering

Water when the compost has dried out in spring and summer. Drought tolerant once established. Keep fairly dry in winter. Read moreShow less

Water when the compost has dried out in spring and summer. Drought tolerant once established. Keep fairly dry in winter.

Mature size

Height0.4 m
Spread0.5 m

Foliage

Evergreen (stays evergreen only when kept frost-free over winter)

Toxicity

Sap can irritate skin: wear gloves when handling or cutting. Harmful to pets if chewed or eaten (salivation and mouth irritation), and the very sharp leaf-tip spines can cause injury to people and animals.

Native range

Species native to Mexico (north-western, south-western and north-eastern Mexico per POWO; Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa and Sonora per Cactus Art). 'Black Widow' is a garden selection with no wild range.

Family

Asparagaceae

Also known as

Agave schidigera 'Black Widow'

Genus

Agave →
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you care for Agave schidigera 'Black Widow'?

Full sun, sharply drained sandy compost, and water only once the compost has dried out. It is drought tolerant once established. Overwinter it frost-free under glass and keep it fairly dry until spring.

How cold can Black Widow agave tolerate?

It is rated RHS H2, with a minimum of about 1°C, so treat it as frost-tender. Keep it in a pot and move it into a greenhouse or conservatory for winter.

Is Agave schidigera 'Black Widow' safe to handle?

Wear gloves. The sap can irritate skin, and every leaf ends in a very sharp spine that can injure people and animals. It is harmful to pets if chewed or eaten, causing salivation and mouth irritation, so keep it out of their reach.

Does Black Widow agave do well in a pot?

Yes. It is slow and compact, about 40cm high and 50cm across when mature, so it suits a pot for years, and a pot makes it easy to bring under cover in winter. Browse more plants for pots.

What is the lifespan of an agave plant?

An agave rosette lives for many years and flowers only once, often after 10 to 20 years, then dies. 'Black Widow' is slow, so expect a compact foliage plant for a long time.

Is Agave schidigera the same as Agave filifera?

They are close relatives. Kew's Plants of the World Online accepts Agave schidigera as a species in its own right and treats Agave filifera subsp. schidigera and A. filifera var. schidigera as synonyms. 'Black Widow' is a widely used cultivar name; the RHS holds a record for it, but no registration or breeder has been published. See the rest of our agave collection.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 7 days with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
Meet the family

Everything about Agave

Agave indoors comes down to one rule: maximum light, minimum water. This guide covers everything you need to grow it well in a UK home.

More about Agave care
Agave Care Guide
Why Grow Tropicals

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Packaged with Care

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

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Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

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Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Agave schidigera 'Black Widow'
£25.99