Types of Agave for Mezcal

Mezcal makers use many species of Agave. Tequila, by comparison, is restricted to one particular species of agave (Agave tequilana).

Espadín (Agave angustifolia) accounts for most certified mezcal production. Twelve widely used species and their common names are listed below.

There are over 200 common names used for magueys used to make mezcal in Mexico. There are fewer agave types than names because many names vary by location or indigenous language. Mezcal bottles often list the “maguey” type as well as the species of agave. While maguey translates to agave, it’s better to think of maguey being the common or local name for the plant type.

A maguey’s local name often differs from its species name. The same species of agave can grow in very different forms, so it makes sense to use different names. Sometimes different names are used for the exact same species and form of agave.

How Many Species of Agave Are There?

Kew’s Plants of the World Online lists 230 accepted species of Agave as of October 2026. The total can change as new species are described and existing names are revised.

Not all species are suitable for making mezcal due to lower sugar content or lower availability in mezcal producing areas.

Can Mezcal be made From Any Type of Agave?

Certified mezcal can be made from any type of agave with one exception. Certified mezcal cannot be made from Agave tequilana in a region which is certified to produce tequila. In practice, around 66 identified species are used as well as a number of other species that have not been scientifically classified.

Certified mezcal is protected by a denomination of origin and must be made in authorized areas within 12 states. However, many other regions outside the “official” mezcal areas also have long traditions making what they call mezcal. Source: Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture, January 2026.

What Types of Agave Are Used for Making Mezcal?

There are at least 66 species of agave which have been scientifically identified that are used for making mezcal, plus further subvariants and subspecies. There are also types of agave used for mezcal that have not been classified. In these cases they are noted as being Agave sp., meaning an Agave species.

Most Popular Agave Types for Making Mezcal

Espadín (Agave angustifolia) accounted for 84.53% of certified mezcal production in 2025, according to COMERCAM. Among the individually listed types, Cenizo (Agave durangensis) followed at 2.00%, then Tobalá (Agave potatorum) at 1.78%. Blends made from more than one agave were counted separately.

Why Mezcal Names Can Be Confusing

Mezcal producers tend to use traditional or local agave names on their labels. Those names can refer to different plants:

• The same species of agave can be known by different names in different regions or even neighboring towns
  • For example, if you have a Cuishe from just about anywhere in Oaxaca you are drinking A. karwinskii, but if it comes from Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca Cuishe refers to A. rhodacantha (usually known as Mexicano)
• Mezcal producers use the same name for different species of agave
  • For example, “cenizo” can be from agave species A. americana, A. angustifolia, A. aspérrima or A. durangensis
• The same species of agave can look and taste very different depending on the growing conditions. These different forms can have different names
• Different agave species can look very similar. Botanists compare leaf shape, teeth and spines with flowers, the flowering stalk and where the plants grow. Some closely related or variable plants need further study to identify confidently.
• Mezcal producers sometimes call an agave by the scientific name for a different species
  • For example lechuguilla (meaning lettuce) is the name of an agave species but is also used as common names for other species such as A. inaequidens, A. maximiliana, A. polianthiflora and A. shrevei

Source on identification: Howard Scott Gentry, Agaves of Continental North America (1982), pages 32, 36, 39 and 46.

Widely used agave species and their common names

Twelve widely used agave species and their common names appear below. Some names cover more than one species, so checking both the common and scientific names helps identify the agave in a bottle.

Comprehensive List of Agave Species for Mezcal and What They Are Known As

The two lists are alphabetical: the first by agave species, with their common names, and the second by common name or maguey, with the species for each. On certified bottles of mezcal the common name can be used, but the scientific name of the species must be used. The signifier “Agave sp.” is used when the agave species has yet to be officially classified. Sources include research by C. Alducin-Martínez et al., published in 2022.

List of Agave Species Used for Making Mezcal and Their Common Names

At least 66 species of agave are used for making mezcal in Mexico. The list includes all species together with their common names.

States listed here are reported locations associated with the agaves. The entries do not separate wild plants from cultivation or show that mezcal is made in every listed state.

List of Common Names for Agave Used to Make Mezcal and their Species

There are hundreds of different names used for maguey. Common names for maguey can be based on different species, different physical forms of the same species or region specific names for the same species. The list pairs common or maguey names used for making mezcal with the species each name might refer to.