Mangave spp.

mangave

Asparagaceae

Garden hybrid; parent genera native to Mexico and southern United States

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Mangave spp. is a group of intergeneric hybrid succulents created by crossing Manfreda spp. with Agave spp., both in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). The crosses combine the faster growth, soft texture, and spotted, colorful leaves of Manfreda spp. with the fuller rosette form and substance of Agave spp., producing evergreen rosettes 8-24 in (20-60 cm) tall and 1-3 ft (30-90 cm) wide. Leaves are fleshy, lance-shaped, and usually unarmed or only lightly toothed, in shades of green, gray, burgundy, and bronze, many heavily freckled with purple-red spots that deepen in strong light. Unlike most agaves, these hybrids grow quickly and do not die after flowering. When a mature rosette does bloom, it sends up a tall spike of tubular flowers, then offsets to continue the clump. Plants are frost-tender and store water in their fleshy leaves, tolerating heat and drought but rotting in cold, wet soil. As hybrids, they are propagated by tissue culture or offsets rather than seed.

Native Range

Mangave spp. does not occur in the wild; it is a garden hybrid group between Manfreda spp. and Agave spp.. The parent genera are native to Mexico and the southern United States, where they grow in arid grasslands, rocky slopes, and scrub. The hybrids were developed by nurseries beginning in the late 20th century.

Suggested Uses

Mangave spp. is grown in containers, succulent and gravel gardens, and mixed dry plantings where its spotted rosettes add color. Single rosettes are set as container plantings, or spaced 18-24 in (45-60 cm) apart in the ground in frost-free areas. The bold form combines with grasses, sedums, and other drought-tolerant plants.

How to Identify

Identify Mangave spp. by its agave-like but soft, mostly spineless rosette of fleshy leaves, typically marked with dense purple-red spotting and reaching 1-3 ft (30-90 cm) across. The leaves are more flexible and faster-growing than those of a true agave, and the rosette offsets rather than dying after bloom. Leaf color intensifies in full sun, separating well-grown plants from the plainer green of shade-grown ones.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 2'

Width/Spread1' - 3'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Summer

Flowering is infrequent and occurs only on mature rosettes, usually in summer. A tall branched or spike-like stem 4-8 ft (1.2-2.4 m) high carries tubular greenish to brownish flowers over several weeks. Unlike a true agave, the rosette continues to grow and offset after blooming rather than dying.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Greenish to brownish

Foliage Description

Green, gray, burgundy, and bronze, freckled purple-red

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Mangave spp. grows in full sun to light shade in gritty, fast-draining soil with a pH of 6.0-7.5, and needs only occasional water once established. Strong light brings out the leaf spotting and color, while shade yields greener, looser rosettes. The hybrids are frost-tender, hardy outdoors in USDA zones 9-11 and grown as container plants moved under cover elsewhere. Cold, wet soil causes crown and root rot, so winter dryness matters more than the cold itself. Plants are fed lightly in spring and given room for offsets to develop. Mealybugs and scale are the main pests under glass.

Pruning

Mangave spp. needs no routine pruning. Lower leaves are removed as they shrivel, and any spent flower spike is cut to the base after bloom. Offsets are detached in spring or summer to propagate or limit clump size.