Agave stricta 'Nana' Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Dwarf Hedgehog Agave

Agave stricta 'Nana'

£10.99
Protect from hard frostSun-lovingEvergreen
Pot size
11cm / 0.75L £10.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Agave stricta 'Nana' is a compact, architectural succulent that brings a real touch of the desert to British gardens. Often called the dwarf hedgehog agave, it forms a dense, spherical rosette of slim, rigid, needle-pointed leaves that radiate outwards in every direction, eventually clumping into a striking spiny dome. It is one of the most sculptural of the smaller agaves and a natural fit for any collection of hardy exotics.

What makes this dwarf agave so desirable is its neatness and texture. Where the species can become large and unwieldy, the 'Nana' form stays tidy and slow-growing, typically reaching only 20-30cm across over many years. The fine grey-green to deep green leaves catch the light beautifully and give superb structure in gravel gardens, raised beds, trough plantings and pots, holding their good looks right through the year as a fully evergreen plant.

How and where to grow it

Like all hardy agave, this is a plant for sun and sharp drainage. Choose the brightest, warmest spot you have, ideally south or west-facing and sheltered, and grow it in very free-draining, gritty compost or a sandy, well-drained soil. It is happy on most soil types, including chalk, provided water never sits around the roots. Water sparingly in summer and keep it almost dry through winter.

  • Position: full sun, sheltered from cold winds
  • Soil: sand, loam or chalk, always sharply drained
  • Eventual size: a slow-forming clump around 20-30cm wide

Hardiness is the one thing to plan for. 'Nana' will take a few degrees of frost if kept dry, but in most of the country it is safest grown in a container that can be moved into a porch, cold greenhouse or conservatory for the coldest months. That portability is exactly why it has become such a popular agave for sale in the UK. If you would rather buy Agave stricta as a permanent garden feature, give it a gravelly, raised, rain-sheltered pocket and it can stay outside in milder, well-drained spots.

Every plant we send out is nursery-grown, carefully selected and well-rooted, so your new dwarf agave arrives in peak condition and ready to thrive.

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 Dwarf Hedgehog Agave

Plant me in full sun and protect me when hard frost threatens.

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 Dwarf Hedgehog Agave

Agave stricta 'Nana' needs full sun and well-drained soil. It is half-hardy to around −5°C and needs protection from hard frost.

Good for

Architectural Dry & Gravel Gardens Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

Semi-Hardy (H3): down to around −5°C. Half-hardy; reliable in mild or coastal gardens, protect in colder areas.

Borderline hardy (RHS H3). A compact 'hedgehog' rosette of narrow spines; protect from prolonged winter wet. Read moreShow less

Borderline hardy (RHS H3). A compact 'hedgehog' rosette of narrow spines; protect from prolonged winter wet.

Position

Full sunSouth-facingWest-facingSheltered
Full sun for dense, well-formed rosettes. Read moreShow less

Full sun for dense, well-formed rosettes.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH
Very free-draining, gritty soil or cactus mix. Never let it sit wet. Read moreShow less

Very free-draining, gritty soil or cactus mix. Never let it sit wet.

Watering

Water sparingly in growth, keep dry over winter. Happiest in a movable container. Read moreShow less

Water sparingly in growth, keep dry over winter. Happiest in a movable container.

Mature size

Height30–40 cm
Spread30–40 cm

Reaches full size in 10-20 years

Growth habit

Clump-forming

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

No pruning needed. Just remove spent or shrivelled lower leaves, handling carefully as the leaf tips are sharp.

Toxicity

Spines can cause physical injury; the sap may irritate skin and eyes. No serious toxicity if eaten, but best kept away from inquisitive pets and children.

Native range

Mexico

Family

Asparagaceae

Also known as

Agave stricta 'Nana'

Genus

Agave →
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Agave stricta 'Nana' hardy enough to survive a UK winter?

It is borderline hardy and only reliably tolerates light frost down to roughly -3 to -5C, and only when kept dry. In most of the UK it is best grown in a pot that can be moved into a cold greenhouse, porch or conservatory over winter, or given a sheltered, very free-draining spot with overhead protection from winter wet.

Does it need full sun or will it cope with shade?

Give it as much sun as possible. A bright, south or west-facing position produces the tightest, most compact rosettes and the best leaf colour. In shade the plant becomes loose and soft and is far more vulnerable to rot.

How big does this dwarf agave get?

'Nana' is a compact, slow-growing form that stays much smaller than the species, typically reaching around 20-30cm across over many years. It slowly clumps up by producing offsets, forming a neat dome of spiky rosettes rather than a single large plant.

Can I grow it in a pot?

Yes, container growing is ideal in the UK. Use a deep pot with a gritty, free-draining cactus or succulent compost, water sparingly in summer and keep almost dry in winter. Growing in a pot also lets you move it under cover when hard frost threatens.

Is it safe around pets and children?

The main hazard is physical: every leaf ends in a sharp spine, so site it away from paths and play areas. The sap can also irritate skin and eyes, so wear gloves when handling. It is not considered seriously poisonous if nibbled, but it is sensible to keep curious pets and children at a distance.

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 48 hours 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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Agave stricta 'Nana'
£10.99