Agave, plant which is member of agave family, group of desert and semi-dry woodland and cliff habitats in parts of northern Mexico and southwestern United States.  Agaves are rosette forming, flowering plants, and fall into a general category which horticulturalists call woody lilies.  Agave flowers and seed capsules share a three-way symmetry with flowers and capsules of most bulbous lilies.  Agaves have a centuries long history of use and cultivation by peoples native to the new world norther continent.