The Agave Guide

Explore Mexico’s wild and cultivated agaves—origins, regions, and traits that define mezcal’s depth and diversity.

Agave angustifolia – Espadín

  • Colloquial Names: Espadín
  • Type: Cultivated, occasionally semi-wild
  • Region: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Puebla
  • Characteristics: Long, narrow leaves with serrated edges and green-gray hues. Highly adaptable and fast-growing, maturing in 7–10 years.
  • Environmental Notes: Thrives in dry, rocky soils and a wide range of elevations up to 2,000 m.

💡 Insider Tip: Though it’s the most common species in mezcal production, Espadín’s diversity is astonishing — terroir and technique can make one batch taste radically different from another. Some maestros use Espadín to express pure artistry, not simplicity.

Agave potatorum – Tobalá

  • Colloquial Names: Tobalá, Papalome, Papalometl
  • Type: Wild, occasionally semi-cultivated
  • Region: Oaxaca, Puebla, Guerrero
  • Characteristics: Small rosette-shaped plant with broad, spoon-like leaves. Matures in 12–15 years.
  • Environmental Notes: Prefers rocky, shaded hillsides between 1,500–2,200 m.

    💡 MAD Tip: Tobalá rarely reproduces through offshoots (hijuelos), relying mostly on seeds. Many mezcaleros replant its seeds near flowering quiotes to preserve genetic diversity — a quiet act of conservation rooted in tradition.

Agave marmorata – Tepeztate

  • Colloquial Names: Tepeztate, Pichomel
  • Type: Wild
  • Region: Oaxaca, Puebla, Guerrero
  • Characteristics: Large, twisted leaves with marbled green-gray patterns. Matures slowly — often 20–30 years.
  • Environmental Notes: Grows on rocky slopes and cliffs, sometimes horizontally, anchoring itself into stone.


💡 MAD Tip: The twisting leaves of Tepeztate aren’t just beautiful—they help the plant capture moisture from fog and morning dew. That adaptation to rocky slopes gives its mezcal a natural salinity and depth found nowhere else.

Agave americana var. Oaxacensis – Arroqueño

  • Colloquial Names: Arroqueño, Coyote, Sierra Negra
  • Type: Wild and cultivated
  • Region: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Puebla
  • Characteristics: Enormous plant with broad, serrated leaves; can exceed 10 feet in diameter. Matures in 18–25 years.
  • Environmental Notes: Prefers arid valleys with well-drained soils.

💡 MAD Tip: Arroqueño is genetically related to Espadín but grows on a much grander scale. When distilled, it mirrors that magnitude — yielding mezcals with round, full-bodied textures and deep vegetal sweetness.

Agave karwinskii – Madrecuixe / Barril / Tobaziche

  • Colloquial Names: Madrecuixe, Cuishe, Barril, Tobaziche, Largo, Cirial
  • Type: Wild, semi-wild / cultivated
  • Region: Oaxaca, especially Miahuatlán and Ejutla
  • Characteristics: Tall, columnar growth with narrow leaves; matures in 12–18 years.
  • Environmental Notes: Grows on dry, sloped terrain; highly drought-tolerant.


💡 MAD Tip: Karwinskii species store water in a tall stalk rather than a bulbous heart, which concentrates sugars differently. This gives their mezcals a bright, mineral-forward quality that is highly distinguishable.

Agave salmiana – Maguey Verde / Pulquero

  • Colloquial Names: Verde, Pulquero
  • Type: Cultivated and semi-wild
  • Region: San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas, Hidalgo
  • Characteristics: Large rosettes with bright green leaves and deep grooves. Matures in 10–14 years.
  • Environmental Notes: Prefers semi-arid highlands; highly resilient to drought and cold.

💡 MAD Tip: Beyond mezcal, Salmiana has a long history in pulque production. Its sweet aguamiel was once considered a sacred drink of the gods — linking ancient rituals with today’s agave traditions.

Agave cupreata – Papalote / Ancho

  • Colloquial Names: Papalote, Maguey Ancho, Papalometl
  • Type: Wild and semi-cultivated
  • Region: Guerrero, Michoacán
  • Characteristics: Broad-leafed agave with subtle copper tones and a compact form. Matures in 12–15 years.
  • Environmental Notes: Grows in forested foothills and mid-elevation ranges (1,200–1,800 meters), often among oak and pine.

    💡 MAD Tip: In Guerrero, Papalote is known as maguey de monte — the mountain maguey. Its mezcal carries whispers of pine resin, forest soil, and the humid winds that move through the Sierra Madre del Sur.