Mangave Mission to Mars

The Mangave Mangave Mission To Mars is an extraordinary and remarkably colourful succulent plant which is part of a series of hybrids resulting from the crossbreeding of Manfreda and Agaves. From the agaves, they borrow a remarkably architecturally persistent vegetation as well as a very lively temperament, while the Manfreda have passed on to them unique colours, less sharp thorns, and a faster growth rate. This Mission To Mars variety, low and very wide, presents intensely spotted brown vegetation on a green background, turning to reddish-purple in the sun. Drought-resistant but not very hardy, it makes a very beautiful subject to grow in a pot on the terrace. In seaside or mild climate gardens, it will thrive in a rockery. 

The Mangave Mangave Mission To Mars belongs to the Agave family, now included by botanists in the much larger Asparagus family. This plant grows quite rapidly into a rosette 25 cm tall and 70 cm wide, composed of numerous succulent leaves. The long leaves are wide, gutter-shaped, tapered to a point, nicely arched, and edged with small, non-prickly cinnamon-coloured spines. Their thick, shiny leaf blade is almost entirely purple on young leaves, gradually turning bronze green on older leaves. Flowering will appear in favourable climates on mature plants, from August to October. From the centre of the rosette emerges a branched floral spike bearing small star-shaped white flowers. Mangave Mangaves are plants for dry, well-drained soil, capable of withstanding short frosts of around -5 to -7°C depending on the varieties. They should be placed in full sun or at a stretch in partial shade in warm climates. The vegetation persists in winter.

To create exotic scenes in mild climates, the Mangave Mission To Mars will be planted in a rockery, alongside other small agaves like Agave montana, other differently coloured Mangaves, small agapanthus, or grasses like Carex comans Milk Chocolate or Stipa tenuifolia. Enthusiasts of cacti and other succulent plants can showcase it on the terrace or balcony by surrounding it with pots filled with joubarbes.