What Is a Tequila Tree? All About the Agave Plant
Go beyond the "tequila tree" myth to understand the Blue Weber Agave, the unique succulent at the heart of the agricultural process that creates the spirit.
While many have heard of a “tequila tree,” the source of the world-famous spirit is not a tree at all. The plant responsible for every bottle of tequila is the Blue Weber Agave. This specific plant is the only variety used in authentic tequila production, a practice protected by law. Its importance is deeply rooted in the culture and economy of specific regions within Mexico.
What is the Tequila Plant
The plant used to make tequila is scientifically known as Agave tequilana Weber’s Blue variety. It is a succulent belonging to the Asparagaceae family, which means it stores water in its leaves as an adaptation to its arid native environment. Its common name, Blue Weber Agave, comes from the distinct blue-gray hue of its foliage.
The plant grows in a large rosette formation, with fleshy, sword-like leaves that can reach over six feet in length. These formidable leaves are tipped with very sharp spines, a natural defense mechanism. Over the course of its life, a single plant can grow to be over seven feet tall before it is ready for harvest.
The Blue Weber Agave is just one of over 300 types of agave found in Mexico, but it is prized for tequila production due to its high concentration of natural sugars. This specific cultivar, a variety of Agave tequilana, is larger and has a more pronounced blue-gray color than its relatives.
From Agave to Tequila
The journey from agave plant to tequila begins with a specialized farmer known as a jimador. These harvesters use a sharp, long-handled tool called a coa to cut the leaves away from the plant’s core. This heart of the agave, which resembles a giant pineapple, is called the piña. A single harvested piña can weigh between 80 and 200 pounds, depending on the plant’s maturity.
Once harvested, the piñas are transported to a distillery where they are slowly cooked. This process, which can take place in steam ovens for up to two days, softens the piñas and breaks down complex carbohydrates into simple, fermentable sugars.
After cooking, the softened piñas are milled to extract the sweet, sugary juice known as aguamiel, or “honey water.” This juice is then moved to fermentation tanks where yeast is added. The yeast consumes the sugars, converting them into alcohol over several days. The resulting liquid undergoes at least two distillations in copper stills to purify and concentrate the alcohol, which is then either bottled or aged.
Growing Blue Weber Agave
Blue Weber Agave is native to the state of Jalisco in Mexico, thriving in the region’s rich, sandy, and volcanic soils. It prefers high altitudes, typically growing at elevations over 5,000 feet in hot, arid climates.
Blue Weber Agave is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 9 and 10, where it requires full sun and exceptionally well-draining soil to prevent root rot. Gardeners should amend sandy or clay-heavy soils with gravel or other materials to ensure water does not linger around the plant’s base.
The plant has a very slow growth rate, taking anywhere from seven to fourteen years to reach maturity in a commercial setting. It is remarkably drought-tolerant and is also monocarpic, meaning it flowers only once in its lifetime. In commercial cultivation, the flower stalk is removed to direct the plant’s energy into sugar production in the piña, but in a garden setting, allowing it to flower produces a dramatic, tall stalk before the plant dies.