Mangave 'Colour Trio Collection' features three striking varieties of these rewarding hybrid succulents, each with contrasting forms and colours.
Boasting the architectural qualities of an Agave, but much faster growing, the Mangave makes an impressive succulent specimen for a conservatory or patio pot. This indoor/outdoor plant represents a revolution in plant breeding. Mangave is a hybrid cross between an Agave and Manfreda, hardier than an Agave, faster-growing, lacking those vicious spikes and with a fuller, tighter rosette like an Echeveria. They form bold silhouettes of fleshy, evergreen leaves in fabulous colours and forms, each leaf margin edged with tiny spines like a fine comb. Mangaves are drought tolerant and require little watering. They can be grown outside all year in areas with mild winters such as coastal and city gardens but like most tender perennials, will otherwise need to be brought into a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory over winter. Use them as a striking focal specimen or combine them with other succulents and tropical bedding for a wow-factor display.
Mangave 'Colour Trio Collection' contains the following varieties:
- Mangave ‘Pineapple Express’ - A dense rosette of sharply pointed blue-green leaves scattered with striking burgundy spots, the centre sprouting upwards like the crown of a pineapple! Height: 40cm (16in). Spread: 50cm (20in).
- Mangave ‘Blazing Saddles’ - A bold silhouette of fleshy, evergreen, spiky leaves forms a concentric star, each leaf blade heavily marbled with deep maroon spots against a pale green background. Height: 20cm (8in). Spread: 35cm (14in).
- Mangave ‘Frosted Elegance’- Shimmering glaucous-blue leaves, each arching leaf marked with a soft green central band. Height: 20cm (8in). Spread: 35cm (14in).
Growing Information
Grow Mangave in a container using very free-draining soil or cactus compost. Grow in full sun outside or within a few metres of a south-facing window in a conservatory/glasshouse maintaining a temperature of 8° - 32°C (46° - 90°F). Mangave can be grown outdoors in the UK between spring and summer as a patio plant or planted in a free-draining, sunny border as perennial bedding.
Water regularly in summer but allow the compost to almost completely dry out between waterings following a 'drenches between droughts' regime. Feed every 2 months in the growing season with a cactus fertiliser. Keep dry in winter. Except in very mild areas they will need to be brought indoors over winter.
Repot every 3 years or so, moving up into a pot just slightly bigger than the previous one. Mangaves can be propagated very easily from offsets that form around the base.
