They are much faster growers then Agave and much more colorful along with being softer and less spinner. unfortunately deer love to eat them. Agave being too spiny. The Texas Tuberose, Polianthes tuberosa are also reclassified as Agave amica and it too has hybridized with Agave.

Hansara 'Jumping Jacks' cultivar crosses Manfreda, Agave, and Polianthes (tuberosa).

My pot full of Agave amica is starting to bloom again for this year. (they bloom every year). The flower is so close to our common Hosta and they are close cousins that I though I might as well cross pollinate the flowers and see what I come up with.

Mine bloomed the first year I purchased them. 2 nd. year not so much but this year is overboard. Maybe you have something there. Being Agave, bloom once and die and new bulbs take over next season.

Keeping this alive! Some new additions to the family. They will double their size before winter bring in. Fast Growers.

Plant Delights has some new cool ones. I was really tempted but the deer adore mangaves. Expessive deer food. BUt I drool over the pictures but I know the deer are drooling too.

Yes Plant Delights do have some nice offers that is not too expensive but shipping is outrageous. Starts at $33. CrazyHCactus on Ebay and Etsy has good price plus free shipping. Mountain Cress is best and cheapest. Some of the nice variegated ones are impossible to get from anywhere. They were sold a few years ago and seems nobody has them.

Can you put pepper spray or peppermint oil on them to keep deer away?

Mangaves after all are Agave. So here's my favorite ones;

Queen of White Thread.

These were selling for a great deal so I purchased several and gave to friends.

This was a rare find frm China. A little expensive but worth it.

Mangave flower spike.

Along with seeds you should get tons of puplits after the seed pods appear on the stock. Plus pups around the base. Which one is this one? Hope your in a warm zone to watch it complete itself.

Mangave inkblot - zone 10a. It's been in the ground a few years and I've started new plants from pups. This is a photo taken a few years ago when it was newly planted.

I'm waiting for the 'Praying Hands' mangave to come out with a variegated cultivar. Hopefully looking as good as Agave 'Snow Glow', which has a similar growth pattern.

Both plants are about a year old.

Well I think that's it for this year since the Agave and Mangave are put to bed for the winter now. Some leaf loss due to wet cold conditions but base is sound so should make a full recovery in my cool dry basement with LED shop lights. They will loose all those spots of purple and red hues of color and become light green looking more alike. One week of outside sun and they color up nicely. I'll show them off next year.

I just got my order from Plant Delights and went onto their Video channel. This Video on Agave and Mangave Breeding Is really fascinating. It is long and you might need to back it up to the beginning. It might load up near the end.

I know, I've seen several so far. Watch out, their additive. I know I'm hooked.

I am more attracted to the techniques of the breeding covered in the video. The deer eat them around here. I did get an Agave X parryspina or something like that.... and a A. potrerana.