×Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ living the single life again

Two years ago I planted a ×Mangave ‘Macho Mocha’ I had gotten from a friend. It was solitary (and beautiful) until this spring when it bloomed. I had expected the mother to die, like most agaves do, but it didn’t. Instead, it multiplied. And while I don’t mind more plants, I didn’t think this clump was all that attractive:

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Here is a closer shot:

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Like all mangaves (intergeneric hybrids between manfredas and agaves), it has fairly juicy leaves. That fact isn’t lost on the snails, which are out and about now after our recent rains:

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How do snails manage to crawl into the center of a leaf before chowing down? What self control!

Using a shovel, I popped the whole clump out of the ground and then separated it. This is what I ended up with:

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No roots, no problem. The offsets will re-root quickly provided the warm weather will continue.

The nicest offset went back in the ground, in the same spot:

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The other pups are now in an unused vegetable bed in the backyard where they can re-root. If anybody in the Davis/Sacramento/Bay Area wants one, please let me know. I have six of varying sizes left.

Comments

  1. Thanks for the post! I never heard of Mangaves. Yes, I want to get one. My email matvienko at gmail dot com . I'm in Davis and grow succulents too

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  2. Following your lead on the solitary life for macho mocha. My friends have been the beneficiaries.

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    Replies
    1. It's more work to keep them solitary but I think they look much better that way.

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  3. My Macho Mocha mother plant continued to make pups after I unpotted it and separated them. Wherever your original plant ended up, you might find it clumping up again, if it isn't done making offsets.

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    1. That's very interesting. It's like they have an internal clock, and nothing can stop it.

      My mother plant got tossed. It had most of the snail damage and I had nicer offsets to work with.

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  4. It looks so pretty! Nicely done :)

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  5. I prefer the solitary or near-solitary Agaves and even Aloes much more as time passes. Your replanted temporarily(?) solitary 'Macho Mocha' is beautiful once again.

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    1. I'm with you 100%! In fact, I think long and hard about planting offsetting species.

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  6. I'll take one, Gerhard, I'll use it in the community college cactus garden I'll be putting in next spring. Sue

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  7. I'm glad to learn that mangaves will live to flower again!

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    1. Most of them pup after flowering so you'll never be without even if they don't give you bulbils.

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  8. Put my name on one Gerhard !

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  9. I can't believe you managed to separate them and still have decent looking plants. Those leaves are so easy to break.

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  10. Slugs and snails do not respect prickles. And mangaves do propagate easily if there is warmth. Would that I had the climate to enjoy them here in the UK.

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