Succulents and More™

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 ...

In a March 2018 post, I proclaimed 2018 to be the “Year of the Mangave.”  Sure, it was a rather self-important thing to do, but it did reflect the rapidly growing popularity of the love child between two closely related succulent genera: Agave and Manfreda . My original post  gives a comprehensive overview of the nothogenus × Mangave . I won't repeat all the details here, but 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 'Mayan Queen' in our front yard This evolution—“revolution” might actually be a better word—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 neverending curiosity, innovativeness ...

I was very excited to find two boxes at the front door last week, especially since I didn't know they were coming: My mystery mangave benefactor was wondering if I'd like to trial the latest creations from Walters Gardens  in Zeeland, Michigan where mangave wizard and plant genius at large Hans Hansen practices his hybridization magic. Except for one plant in the box, ×Mangave 'Mission to Mars' , they were all new to me. Opening boxes is a truly exciting thing. Maybe I should up my game and start producing unboxing videos like so many people on YouTube, but for now this is the best I can do: Box 1

If there's one constant in my garden, it's that nothing stays the same forever—or even for very long. There's the natural circle of life: Plants, even the toughest and most reliable ones, die at some point and need to be replaced. And then there's the Gerhard circle of life that revolves almost entirely around my ever-changing plant crushes and preferences. Variety is the spice of life, isn't that way they say? Here's my latest tweak: The Agave ocahui in the photo above never quite lived up to my expectations. It looked a bit wonky and in general didn't impress. Time for it to go.

My love for agaves is no secret. They're eye candy, they have a don't-mess-with-me attitude, and no matter where you put them—in the ground or in a pot—they make a statement that cannot be denied. Many agave species live for a long time, but when this happens, the end is near: Agave utahensis var. nevadensis , April 7, 2018 Unlike perennials, which flower over and over again, virtually all agave species flower only once. They literally put all they've got into producing that one flower stalk. Even in a small agave like the  Agave utahensis var. nevadensis above, the inflorescence is very tall in relation to the body of the agave.

A couple of weeks ago I proclaimed 2018 to be the year of the mangave . This was based on the ever increasing number of hybrids becoming available in nurseries, and the growing popularity of these harmless half-siblings of the spiky agave. If you haven't seen the variety of leaf textures and colors offered by the latest crop of mangaves, check out my earlier post . I'm sure you'll find a few that you like even if you're not fond of agaves. A week after my mangave post, UPS delivered two mystery boxes to our doorstep. Guess what was inside? Box 1:

Agaves are great the way they are. But do you know what's even cooler? The love children from a hanky-panky between an agave and a manfreda! Manfredas are succulents with soft, floppy leaves, often with pronounced purple spots. I'm sure you've seen the cultivar with wavy-edged leaves called 'Chocolate Chip' ( here ). Some species in the genus Manfreda are quite hardy, especially especially Manfreda virginica and Manfreda maculosa , both native to the U.S. Now imagine combining the best qualities of both genera, manfredas and agaves. The result is bound to be special. As you look at the photos in this post, I'm sure you will agree. From what I was able to gather, the first recorded cross between a manfreda and agave was from seed legendary plantsman Carl Schoenfeld (the last owner of the now defunct Yucca Do Nursery in Texas) collected in Mexico. The seed came from a Manfreda variegata  but the seedlings clearly showed agave traits, most likely from Agave...