Lechuguilla is a long-lived, drought-tolerant perennial. Lechuguilla provides important habitat and food to a diversity of Chihuahuan Desert mammals, reptiles, and birds but is poisonous to domestic livestock.
Agave lechuguilla is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.6 m by 0.6 m at a medium rate.
It is hardy to zone 10.
Suitable for: light , medium and heavy soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic soils and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Agroforestry Services: Living fence Industrial Crop: Fiber Management: Standard Regional Crop
Climate: subtropical to tropical. Humidity: arid to humid. Lechuguilla is common on dry hills, plains, rocky slopes, and limestone highlands. Lechuguilla occupies habitats with semiarid continental climates. The Chihuahuan Desert averages 7.7 to 13.7 inches of annual precipitation, and summer temperatures above 100 °F are common. In the northern portion of the Chihuahuan Desert, precipitation averages 9.7 to 10.4 inches , 70% to 80% of which falls in the summer. The average low winter temperature is 36 °F and mean summer high is 90 °F . Throughout lechuguilla's range, the densest populations occur below 4,900 feet . Lechuguilla is shallowly rooted. The average depth is 4 inches . It produces flowers after three to five years and dies after flowering. Threatened by deer and javelinas who eat it, however, it is poisonous to cattle. Carbon Farming Solutions - Cultivation: regional crop. Management: standard .
Habitatsthe limit of the distribution goes up to Pine and Juniper forests.