#agsvaceae

Agave colorata

I earlier posted photos of my hybrid between Agave parrasana and Agave colorata - and here is one of the parents - Agave colorata, from Sonora in northwestern Mexico. In nature, it often has striking bands of light and dark on its leaves, but this seldom happens on plants in cultivation. However, its modest-sized rosettes of blue leaves are very attractive, and its short flower stalk arches to the side, keeping the flowers low and easy to see up close. I always appreciate Agave flowers that have red buds, as this one does.

×Mangave 'Purple Leopard'

The genus Manfreda is now included by many botanists in Agave, but crosses between these soft-leaved (and often spotted) plants and regular agaves are widely known as "Mangaves" (this is properly written as ×Mangave, with the multiplication sign indicating that these plants are crosses between Manfreda and Agave). This one combines Agave marmorata (from Oaxaca and Puebla in southern Mexico) with a Manfreda hybrid, and its prominent purple spots are quite striking. It is flowering, and therefore at the end of its life span, but we hope it will prove to have an offset or two when it is done.