Agave ‘Cream Spike’ is one of the most popular agaves, and for a good reason: it has some of the most stunning rosettes of leaves in cultivation.
However, there are some challenges to growing this plant indoors.
The following guide will help you keep your Agave healthy with minimal effort while enjoying its beauty year-round! You’ll learn tips on everything from the lighting conditions to propagation methods to all the common problems encountered by growers who keep Agave ‘Cream Spike’ as houseplants.
in this article:
About Agave ‘Cream Spike’
Agave ‘Cream Spike’ is a succulent with thick, pointed leaves that grow in rosettes. The leaves are heavily variegated with a thick border of cream-colored edges that accentuate the mid-green color of the inner leaves quite nicely.
At their apex, the leaves sharpen into an extremely long, red terminal spine that stands out quite nicely from the rest of the rosette, adding drama.
This is a slow-growing Agave, taking almost 20 years to reach maturity and the ability to flower. It is monocarpic but produces offsets to continue the culture.
Related Article: Learn about different types of Agave succulents and common varieties
| Botanical Name | Agave ‘Cream Spike’ |
| Common Name | Cream Spike Agave |
| Family | Crassulaceae |
| Plant Type | Succulent |
| Origin | Garden Origin |
| Maintenance | Low |
| Height | 4 inches |
| Width | 6 inches |
| Light | Full sun, Partial shade |
| Bloom season | Summer |
| Bloom color | Yellow |
| Water needs | Low |
| Soil | Well-Drained, Loamy, Sandy |
| Tolerant | Deer, Drought, Salt |
| Toxicity | Mildly-toxic |
| Hardiness (USDA) | 8-11 |
Agave ‘Cream Spike’ Care
Agave ‘Cream Spike’ does not require much maintenance.
It is one of the most beautiful plants you can grow indoors or out, so adding this lovely plant to your collection of houseplants may be something you want to consider doing soon!
Light
An agave needs full sun. This means it requires six hours or more of direct sunlight daily.
Agave Cream Spike can tolerate some shade, but it will grow best in an area with lots of light.
Soil
Agave ‘Cream Spike’ is a desert plant that requires well-drained soil with good drainage and a sandy or gritty texture.
It’s also important to ensure the soil has plenty of room for air to circulate about one inch below ground level. This will prevent root rot – a common problem for agaves.
Water
Water when the soil is dry. Ideally, you want to water your Agave only when the top inch of soil feels dry.
Water deeply and infrequently. Agaves don’t like to sit in water, so thoroughly saturate their roots before allowing the water to drain. But don’t overdo it, or you’ll risk rotting them out!
In general, agaves should be watered less during winter months than they would during warmer seasons such as summer or spring.
Temperature and Humidity
You should keep your Agave ‘Cream Spike’ in a spot with temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (13–24 C). If you live in a cool region, it’s essential to shelter the plant from drafts.
Humidity should be around 40-60 percent, with plenty of air circulation. These succulents are not particularly fussy about humidity.
Agave ‘Cream Spike’ can be planted outdoors in USDA zones 8-11.
Fertilizer
Do not fertilize in the winter. This is when your Agave will be dormant, and it’s best not to mess with that.
Use a balanced slow-release fertilizer. Fertilize at the beginning of spring for the best results.
Pruning
The best time to prune Agave is early spring before new growth begins. This can be done by hand or with hedge shears.
Pruning should be done as needed as it encourages growth and helps maintain the plant’s form.
It also allows you to control how large your Agave becomes, which is unnecessary in the case of Agave ‘Cream Spike,’ as it stays small regardless.
It would help if you also regularly prune dead leaves and damaged spines from your Agaves.
Potting and Repotting Agave ‘Cream Spike’
If you are trying to grow Agave ‘Cream Spike’ as a houseplant, you will need to repot it every two years while it is still small. After this point, if your Agave continues growing at its normal pace, you can wait three years before repotting again.
Repot at the height of spring, so your Agave gets plenty of time to get accustomed to its new home before the growing season is in full swing.
Prepare
How to Repot (Step-by-step)
- Remove the plant from its pot. Use your trowel to loosen up the soil inside the pot. You should be able to pull it out in chunks.
- Remove the old potting mix, if any is left, by dusting off the roots.
- Add the potting medium to the new pot until the container is about half full.
- Place the plant in its new pot, ensuring it has enough room to grow. Add more potting mix around it until you are satisfied with how full it looks.
- Wait a week and then water thoroughly until water runs out of the bottom drainage holes, but do not allow this water to sit in the pot for any length of time.
Propagating Agave ‘Cream Spike’ via Suckers (Step-by-step)
Agave ‘Cream Spike’ produces suckers/offsets as it matures. This is a slow-growing plant, and it takes a long time to reach this point (20 years), so if you’re Agave is not all the way there yet, don’t worry; it will start producing suckers eventually.
If you’ve already reached this point and are ready to begin propagation, here’s what to do.
- Remove the sucker from the parent plant by cutting it off with a sharp knife or pruning shears.
- Keep it in a dry location and allow it to callus over for a few days.
- Once the cut has callused over, plant it in a small container filled with well-draining soil.
- Water sparingly until roots begin to develop.
- Once the plant grows new leaves, move it into a larger pot and give it more water as needed.
If you have several suckers on a plant, it’s best to remove just one of them at a time. This will allow the remaining suckers to grow and become fodder for future projects.
Blooms
Agave Cream Spike is monocarpic, meaning it will bloom once and then die.
It takes many years for this Agave to reach maturity, so don’t expect your plant to flower for a long time. But when the plant is ready, it will send up a tall spike covered in small yellow or orange flowers.
The spike can be anywhere from 2 to 3 meters tall (6-9 feet), depending on the variety at hand and growing conditions.
Agave Cream Spike can also grow suckers or offsets to counteract this. Even if you leave the plant to its own devices, the suckers will not let the plant die completely.
Toxicity
Agave ‘Cream Spike’ is considered mildly toxic to pets and children. This is due to a mild irritant present in the plant sap.
However, in the case of fully grown adults, the toxins barely have any effect unless you’re particularly sensitive. Regardless, it is recommended you use gloves to protect yourself when handling this plant.
NOTE: This page is not intended as a substitute for veterinary advice. The toxicity of an ingested substance varies depending on the amount ingested, the animal’s weight, and its sensitivity to specific allergens. Contact your veterinarian or local animal poison control center immediately if you think your pet may have ingested a toxic substance.
Common Pests
AVOID
- Overwatering
- Placing under harsh sunlight
- Using poorly drained potting mediums
- Fertilizing during dormancy
Common Problems
Overwatering
Overwatering is one of the most common problems with agaves. It can lead to root rot, stem rot, and many other issues that ultimately kill plants. Water should be applied once a week during the summer and every two weeks during spring and summer.
Sunburn
Sunburn is a common problem for agave plants, the result of too much exposure to the sun. You can prevent this by choosing a place that gets some shade from other plants or trees and giving your Agave some protection from direct sunlight with a piece of cardboard or something similar when it’s hot.
Frost Damage
You may have heard of frost damage, a common problem for succulents in general. It’s important to understand the symptoms of this condition because if you don’t take action, your plant could be killed by frost.
Luckily, the Agave ‘Cream Spike’ is somewhat winter hardy, quite handily surviving temperatures as low as -7 degrees Celsius. However, it’s still better to protect your plant from such conditions to prevent any chance of a problem occurring in the first place.