It is a large shrub that is found on wooded slopes and canyons and is one of the most attractive plants in this region of the country. You can encounter other species of Agave besides Agave lechuguilla at a number of places in the Chisos Mountains. There is some disagreement about the correct name for the species of Agave depicted below, both Agave scabra and Agave harvardiana have been used. Century Plant was used by Native Americans for food. They roasted the flowering shoots, leaf bases and pods.
Agaves produce a sugary juice that can be fermented to produce an alcoholic beverage called pulque.
Mescal and tequilla are produced by distillation of the fermentation products obtained from a mash of the starchy crown. Agaves have also been used to produce fiber, soap, and medicines. When the plant flowers, it sends up a single long stalk that contains a large number of flowers in a large highly branched inflorescence called a panicle As the fruits develop, they turn brown and eventually split open along their length, releasing their seeds. There are three locules. The vegetative portion of the plant begins to die as the fruits develop.