2020 ×Mangave roundup

The year is almost over, and it's high time for another ×Mangave roundup. Previously, I attempted to list all mangave varieties in cultivation. This year, I'm going to focus only on the ones currently growing in our garden.

In this post, I proclaimed 2018 to be the “Year of the Mangave.” Since then, the love children between two closely related succulent genera, Agave and Manfreda, have become even more popular and are now on the verge of entering the mainstream.

My original post gives a comprehensive overview of the novel genus ×Mangave. In a nutshell, mangaves have evolved from naturally occurring hybrids (such as 'Macho Mocha' and 'Rio Verde') to man-made novelties (the ever popular 'Bloodspot') to commercially viable ornamentals (the successful “Mad About Mangave” introductions by Walters Gardens).

×Mangave 'Mission to Mars' (lower right) getting along very well will all kinds of plants in our front garden

This development was largely driven by the pioneering hybridization work of Hans Hansen, Director of New Plant Development at Walters Gardens. If it hadn't been for Hans's drive, innovation and perseverance, we might never have moved beyond 'Bloodspot'. 

Other large growers are poised to jump on the ×Mangave bandwagon. I've been seeing a variety called 'Barney' at Lowe's and The Home Depot. I don't know who's behind it—maybe Altman, but that's pure conjecture on my part.

Over the last two years I've been trialing a number of mangaves in my garden, both in containers and in the ground. All of them have been through at least one winter, some through two or more. Not that our mild zone 9b winters are much of a challenge to mangaves: Even 'Lavender Lady', considered to be the most tender mangave because of its Agave attenuata genes, has made it with flying colors.

×Mangave 'Man of Steel', ×Mangave 'Red Wing', and ×Mangave 'Blazing Saddle' in the front yard

This post isn't the grand result of systematic trialing on my part. It's simply a snapshot of how my mangaves are doing at this point in time. For each variety, I give ratings in three categories: rate of growth, ease of cultivation, and gardenworthiness. The first two are somewhat objective. The third, gardenworthiness on a scale from + to +++, is purely subjective; I'm happy to say that there are very few mangaves I would boot from my garden simply for a lack of attractiveness.

×Mangave 'Iron Man'

With some exceptions, the photos in this post were taken in the last few weeks. Some of my mangaves are close to reaching their peak potential but many others are still small and have a lot of growing to do. In other words, don't expect catalog-quality beauty shots. What the photos do show, aside from the plants themselves, is how well mangaves play with others. Yes, many stand out as solo performers, but they also harmonize with other succulents and even completely unrelated plant groups. 

×Mangave 'Black Magic', an upcoming 2021 release from Walters Gardens, newly planted along the sidewalk. 'Black Magic' and 'Night Owl', another new variety for 2021, have the darkest leaves of any mangaves to date.

Pronunciation

Very easy: “Mangave” is pronounced “man-GAH-vay.” The “man” part is from Manfreda, “gave” from Agave. Hence “man-GAH-vay,” not “MAN-gave.”

To fight mispronunciation, Walters Gardens has a “genus pronunciation” button on the mangave pages on its web site. In addition, they've started to introduce the spelling “mangavé” as a subtle pronunciation clue.

Index

These are all the mangaves covered in this post. Click a link to jump directly to the respective variety.

×Mangave 'Bad Hair Day'
×Mangave 'Blazing Saddles'
×Mangave 'Blue Dart'
×Mangave 'Catch a Wave'
×Mangave 'Crazy Cowlick'
×Mangave 'Desert Dragon'
×Mangave 'Espresso'
×Mangave 'Freckles and Speckles'
×Mangave 'Frosted Elegance'
×Mangave 'Inca Warrior'
×Mangave 'Inkblot'
×Mangave 'Iron Man'
×Mangave 'Kaleidoscope'
×Mangave 'Lavender Lady'
×Mangave 'Macho Mocha'
×Mangave 'Man of Steel'
×Mangave 'Mayan Queen'
×Mangave 'Mission to Mars'
×Mangave 'Moonglow'
×Mangave 'My Dog Spot'
×Mangave 'Navajo Princess'
×Mangave 'Pineapple Express'
×Mangave 'Purple People Eater'
×Mangave 'Red Wing'
×Mangave 'Rio Verde'
×Mangave 'Shadow Waltz'
×Mangave 'Silver Fox'
×Mangave 'Snow Leopard'
×Mangave 'Spotty Dotty'
×Mangave 'Tooth Fairy'
×Mangave 'Whale Tale'

Variety listings

×Mangave 'Bad Hair Day'

Parentage: Agave geminiflora × Manfreda maculosa

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 7b

Width × height: 30" × 10"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: ++

Notes: Looks good in a head planter as a literal interpretation of “hair.”

From left to right: ×Mangave 'Navajo Princess', ×Mangave 'Bad Hair Day'

×Mangave 'Bad Hair Day'

×Mangave 'Blazing Saddles'

Parentage: Agave nizandensis × Mangave 'Bloodspot'

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 15" × 8"

Rate of growth: Slow

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: Intense reddish-purple coloration in full sun; much smaller than the similarly colored 'Red Wing'

×Mangave 'Blazing Saddles'

×Mangave 'Blue Dart'

Parentage: Agave macroacantha × Agave shawii × Manfreda maculosa

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 22" × 16"

Rate of growth: Slow

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes:

1—More agave-like that most mangaves.
2—'Blue Dart' doesn't stop people in their tracks like some of the variegated or more intensely colored cultivars do, but not every plant in your garden can be the in-your-face-type. I like it for that very reason.

×Mangave 'Blue Dart'

×Mangave 'Catch a Wave'

Parentage: Agave pablocarrilloi × Agave colorata × Manfreda maculosa

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 30" × 20"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: Much wider than tall; undulating leaves.

×Mangave 'Catch a Wave'

×Mangave 'Catch a Wave'

×Mangave 'Crazy Cowlick'

Parentage: Agave bovicornuta × Agave pablocarrilloi × unspecified Manfreda hybrid 

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 36" × 20"

Rate of growth: Fast

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: ++

Notes: In my top 5. The Agave bovicornuta genes are strong in this one.

×Mangave 'Crazy Cowlick'  in a pot next to the front door

×Mangave 'Crazy Cowlick'  in the ground

×Mangave 'Desert Dragon'

Parentage: Agave macroacantha × Agave geminiflora × Agave pablocarrilloi × Agave attenuata × unspecified Manfreda 

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 19" × 5"

Rate of growth: Fast

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: 

Notes: Very low-growing.

×Mangave 'Desert Dragon'

×Mangave 'Espresso'

Parentage: white-edged version of ×Mangave 'Macho Mocha' (Agave mitis × unknown Manfreda)

Breeder: Hans Hansen, introduced by Plant Delights

Zone: 8a

Width × height: 36" × 12"

Rate of growth: Fast

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: ++

Notes: Like most 'Macho Mocha' progeny, a fast grower. Mine could do with a bit more sun for better color, but it's still in my top 10.

×Mangave 'Espresso' 

×Mangave 'Espresso' at the Ruth Bancroft Garden; this is the coloration I'd love to have

×Mangave 'Freckles and Speckles'

Parentage: Agave macroacantha × Agave geminiflora × Agave pablocarrilloi × unspecified Manfreda 

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 10

Width × height: 19" × 8"

Rate of growth: Slow

Ease of cultivation: Moderate

Gardenworthiness: 

Notes: 'Freckles and Speckles' is said to flower at a young age.

×Mangave  'Freckles and Speckles'

×Mangave 'Frosted Elegance'

Parentage: Agave nizandensis

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 12" × 6"

Rate of growth: Slow

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes:

1—Central stripe from Agave nizandensis more pronounced with age.
2—Slow-growing but good potential (see Plant Delights website).

×Mangave  'Frosted Elegance'

×Mangave 'Inca Warrior'

Parentage: Agave parryi × Agave ovatifolia × Manfreda jaliscana

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 7b

Width × height: 30" × 15"

Rate of growth: Fast

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: Similar to 'Mission to Mars'. Mine needs more sun to achieve the deep rich purples you see on the Walters Gardens web site. I do like the thick substantial leaves.

×Mangave 'Inca Warrior' (with a fairly newly planted 'Pineapple Express')

×Mangave 'Inkblot'

Parentage: Manfreda undulata × Manfreda maculosa × Agave macroacantha

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 20" × 8"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: One of Walters Gardens' earliest mangave releases and still a worthwhile plant.

×Mangave 'Inkblot' in too much shade

×Mangave 'Inkblot' at its best

×Mangave 'Iron Man'

Parentage: Agave pablocarrilloi × Agave montana × Manfreda maculosa

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 8a

Width × height: 36" × 20"

Rate of growth: Slow

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: ++

Notes: It took a while to find its stride but it's grown significantly in the last year and is finally achieving its potential. More agave-like than most mangaves.

×Mangave 'Iron Man'

×Mangave 'Kaleidoscope'

Parentage: yellow-edged sport of ×Mangave 'Jaguar' (Manfreda guttata hybrid)

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 8a

Width × height: 24" × 20"

Rate of growth: Slow

Ease of cultivation: Easy in full sun

Gardenworthiness: +++

Notes: Needs full sun for best color. One of my favorite mangaves.

×Mangave 'Kaleidoscope' in front of Aloe capitata var. quartziticola

×Mangave 'Lavender Lady'

Parentage: Agave attenuata × ×Mangave 'Bloodspot'

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 10

Width × height: 24" × 12"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +++

Notes: Striking plant with obvious Agave attenuata parentage. Hardier in the garden than Agave attenuata. Quite possibly the most refined looking mangave so far.

×Mangave 'Lavender Lady'

×Mangave 'Man of Steel'

Parentage: Agave striata × ×Mangave 'Bloodspot'

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 21" × 11"

Rate of growth: Very slow

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: ++

Notes:

1—Beautiful and very agave-like; stiff leaves with rigid terminal spines.
2—Slow-growing so unsure how long it will take to achieve its full size.
3—Tends to offset prolifically when younger, less so as it matures.

×Mangave 'Man of Steel'

×Mangave 'Mayan Queen'

Parentage: Agave pablocarrilloi × Agave macroacantha × unspecified Manfreda 

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 36" × 15"

Rate of growth: Fast

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +++

Notes: One of my very favorite mangaves. The photos below show why.

×Mangave 'Mayan Queen' in a sea of Acacia cognata 'Cousin Itt'

×Mangave 'Mayan Queen'

×Mangave 'Mission to Mars'

Parentage: Agave shawii × Agave ×pseudoferox × unspecified Manfreda

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 48" × 24"

Rate of growth: Very fast

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: In my experience, the fastest growing mangave. Coloration changes quickly depending on UV exposure.

×Mangave 'Mission to Mars'

×Mangave 'Mission to Mars'

×Mangave 'Mission to Mars'

×Mangave 'My Dog Spot'

Parentage: Agave macroacantha, Agave geminiflora, and Agave pablocarrilloi × unspecified Manfreda

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 17" × 9"

Rate of growth: Fast

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: Another ground hugger with a beautifully symmetrical rosette. Good color even in shade.

×Mangave 'My Dog Spot'

×Mangave 'Navajo Princess'

Parentage: Agave montana × Manfreda maculosa

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 7b

Width × height: 30" × 12"

Rate of growth: Fast

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: ++

Notes: Attractive agave lookalike with creamy leaf margins.

×Mangave 'Navajo Princess'

×Mangave 'Pineapple Express'

Parentage: ×Mangave 'Jaguar' × ×Mangave 'Bloodspot'. 

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 8a

Width × height: 24" × 18"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: More upright habit than other similar mangaves, especially in the shade. (My specimen below receives quite a bit of sun so it's less pineapple-like than the plants on Walters Gardens' web site.)

×Mangave 'Pineapple Express' growing under a manzanita

×Mangave 'Purple People Eater'

Parentage: Agave pablocarrilloi × Agave macroacantha × unspecified Manfreda

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 10

Width × height: 24" × 14"

Rate of growth: Very slow

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: In my experience, one of the slowest growing mangaves but beautiful coloration in strong light.

×Mangave 'Purple People Eater' in the ground; it receives less sun that the potted plant above

×Mangave 'Red Wing'

Parentage: not specified

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9

Width × height: 26" × 18"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +++

Notes: Requires strong light for best color. One of my favorites because of its intense coloration. 

×Mangave 'Red Wing'

×Mangave 'Red Wing'

×Mangave 'Red Wing'

×Mangave 'Rio Verde'

Parentage: not specified

Breeder: originally discovered in San Luis Potosí, Mexico by the folks at (now defunct) Yucca Do Nursery

Zone: 8

Width × height: 24" × 24"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: 

1—This is the original description from the Yucca Do website: “This Manfreda or ×Mangave has an unmistakable agave-like appearance. Its deeply-channeled, upright, leaves are widest in the middle, tapering at each end, and are edged in fine, brittle teeth along their margins. The newly-emerging leaves are flecked with maroon spots. We offered seedlings of this site years ago, thinking the seedlings we were offering represented a species, but we noticed that this one seedling had a more pronounced agave-like form and so we propagated it for our trials. After growing this clone for years, we now believe that it might be a ×Mangave because of its intermediate form and failure to set viable seed.”

2—Following the comments from Yucca Do, I find 'Rio Verde' to be very manfreda like in appearance (and its leave to be very brittle). 

3—In my garden, this cultivar goes dormant in the dead of winter but it comes back with a vengeance in the spring.

×Mangave 'Rio Verde'

×Mangave 'Shadow Waltz'

Parentage: Agave parryi × Agave nizandensis × unspecified Manfreda

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9

Width × height: 24" × 12"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes:

1—Another positive surprise. Tons of potential here.
2—The central stripe from Agave nizandensis is very prominent.

×Mangave 'Shadow Waltz'

×Mangave 'Silver Fox'

Parentage: Agave pablocarrilloi × Agave macroacantha × unspecified Manfreda

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 22" × 11"

Rate of growth: Slow

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: With 'Tooth Fairy' and 'Purple People Eater' the slowest grower in my garden but finally gaining some bulk after 2 years in the ground.

×Mangave 'Silver Fox' (with Agave mitis 'Nova')

×Mangave 'Snow Leopard'

Parentage: white-edged sport of ×Mangave 'Jaguar' (unspecified agave × Manfreda guttata),

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 8a

Width × height: 24" × 18"

Rate of growth: Very fast

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +++

Notes: Among the fastest growing mangaves and one of my favorites.

×Mangave 'Snow Leopard' in the summer

×Mangave 'Snow Leopard' in colder weather

×Mangave 'Spotty Dotty'

Parentage: Agave gypsophila × Agave bovicornuta × Manfreda maculosa

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 36" × 10"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: ++

Notes: Low-growing but wide. A mass planting would be effective as groundcover.

×Mangave 'Spotty Dotty'

×Mangave 'Spotty Dotty'

×Mangave 'Tooth Fairy'

Parentage: Agave macroacantha × Agave shawii × unspecified Manfreda

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 9a

Width × height: 17" × 12"

Rate of growth: Very slow

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +++

Notes: Very slow growing when young, a bit faster as it matures. One of my very favorites. The teeth, inherited from its Agave shawii parent, are stunningly beautiful when backlit.

×Mangave 'Tooth Fairy'

×Mangave 'Tooth Fairy'

×Mangave 'Whale Tale'

Parentage: Agave ovatifolia × Agave pablocarrilloi × Manfreda maculosa

Breeder: Hans Hansen/Walters Gardens

Zone: 7b

Width × height: 48" × 12"

Rate of growth: Medium

Ease of cultivation: Easy

Gardenworthiness: +

Notes: Noticeable "lost wax" effect on some leaves.

Clockwise from left to right: ×Mangave 'Navajo Princess', ×Mangave 'Whale Tale', ×Mangave 'Bad Hair Day'

×Mangave 'Whale Tale'

×Mangave 'Whale Tale' for sale at Green Acres Nursery in Sacramento (right: ×Mangave 'Whale Tale' and Agave ovatifolia, one of its parents)

Other ×Mangave varieties waiting to be planted

Three mangaves waiting to be planted out

I just received a shipment of mangaves for trialing so expect to see them in next year's ×Mangave roundup:

×Hansara 'Jumping Jacks'

×Mangave 'Artic Fox'

×Mangave 'Aztec King'

×Mangave 'Center of Attention'

×Mangave 'Dreadlocks'

×Mangave 'Moonglow'

×Mangave 'Painted Desert'

×Mangave 'Sponge Paint'

Coming attractions

Hans Hansen and the team at Walters Gardens certainly don't rest on their laurels. Here are six new introductions you can expect to see next year. 

'Pineapple Punch' and 'Life on Mars' are variegated sports of existing varieties ('Pineapple Express' and 'Mission to Mars' respectively), while 'Black Magic' and 'Night Owl' are the darkest mangaves yet. However, the introduction that will turn most heads is sure to be 'Praying Hands'. I expect it will be much sought after once it's available in retail channels.

×Mangave 'Black Magic'

×Mangave 'Black Magic' (photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.)

×Mangave 'Fiercely Fabulous'

×Mangave 'Fiercely Fabulous' (photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.)

×Mangave 'Life on Mars'

×Mangave 'Life on Mars' (photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.)

×Mangave 'Night Owl'

×Mangave 'Night Owl' (photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.)

×Mangave 'Pineapple Punch'

×Mangave 'Pineapple Punch' (photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.)

×Mangave 'Praying Hands'

×Mangave 'Praying Hands' (photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.)

×Mangave 'Praying Hands' (photo courtesy of Walters Gardens, Inc.)

These new introductions are vivid proof that we're in a golden age of succulent breeding, with many previously unimagined creations in development.

Where to buy

The availability of Walters Gardens mangaves has improved in California nurseries although I have yet to find a nursery that carries more than just a few varieties at a time.

Mangaves at Green Acres Nursery in Elk Grove, California on December 5, 2020

Mail order continues to be the best avenue. Plant Delights Nursery has the most complete selection. Mountain Crest Gardens has expanded their inventory and now carries 15+ Walters Gardens mangaves along with 'Bloodspot' and 'Macho Mocha'. eBay and Etsy are worthwhile sources as well.

If you know of any other sources, please leave a comment below.

RELATED POSTS:

• 2019 ×Mangave roundup
• 2018: the year of the mangave
• Walters Gardens' Mad About Mangave website

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