Blue agave is the plant traditionally used to make tequila, a distilled spirit from Mexico.
Its scientific name is Agave tequilana, and it is also called tequila agave. Producers harvest the plant's large underground stem, or piña, after removing its long, spiny leaves. The piñas are cooked, crushed, fermented, and distilled.
Tequila production is legally associated with particular Mexican regions, especially the state of Jalisco. The plant is not a cactus; it is a succulent in the asparagus family, Asparagaceae. This is a common mix-up because both cacti and agaves thrive in dry climates.
Mezcal can be made from many agave species, whereas tequila is made primarily from blue agave. The plant usually takes several years to mature and dies after flowering, although it can produce offsets before then.