Mangave Moonglow

Mangave Moonglow is a succulent plant that belongs to a series of amazing North American hybrids resulting from the cross-breeding between Manfreda and Agaves. From the agaves, they display a remarkably architectural evergreen vegetation as well as a very perennial temperament, while they have their unique colours, less sharp spines and faster growth from the Manfreda. This Moonglow variety, which is compact, has the somewhat surreal charm of a moonlit night, with beautifully spotted bluish foliage that takes on different shades of grey and very dark purple. Drought-resistant but not very hardy, it makes a very beautiful subject to grow in a pot on the ppatio. In seaside or mild climate gardens, it will thrive in a rockery. 

Mangave Moonglow belongs to the Agavaceae family, now included by botanists in the much larger Asparagaceae family. This plant develops quite rapidly into a rosette of 25 cm (10in) in height and 40 cm (16in) in width, composed of numerous succulent leaves. The leaves are rather narrow, rigid and slightly arched, tapering to a point and finely toothed along the edge. Their thick, matte blade can show a variable background colour depending on the age of the leaves and the plant's exposure to the sun, always in a grey range. It is always marked by dark and irregular spots and marbling.  Flowers will appear in favourable climates on mature plants, from August to October. From the centre of the rosette emerges a branched flower stalk bearing small white star-shaped flowers. Mangaves are plants for dry, well-drained soil, capable of withstanding brief frosts of around -5 to -7°C (23 to 19.4°F), depending on the variety.  They should be placed in full sun or, at most, partial shade in hot climates. The plant is evergreen.

To create exotic scenes in mild climates, Mangave Moonglow can be planted in a rockery, alongside other small agaves such as Agave montana, other differently coloured Mangaves, small agapanthus, or grasses like Carex comans Milk Chocolate or Stipa tenuifolia. Collectors of cacti and other succulent plants can highlight it on the patio or balcony by surrounding it with pots filled with sempervivum.