×Mangave  ‘Mayan Queen’Agaves, often called Century Plants, are well known in

×Mangave  ‘Mayan Queen’

Agaves, often called Century Plants, are well known in horticulture, but their soft-leaved relatives in the genus Manfreda are less often encountered. Manfreda is very closely related to Agave, and in recent years many authorities have advocated for its inclusion within Agave, but this has not really caught on in horticulture. Manfreda flower stalks are generally shorter and less showy than those of their relatives, but many of the species have an attractive trait not seen in regular agaves - purple spots. In recent years, many crosses between Aagve and Manfreda have been introduced, and these are listed under the name  ×Mangave (the multiplication sign at the beginning is to show that this a cross between 2 different genera, not a real genus, but the name is often written simply as Mangave). The plant pictured is one of these newcomers:  ×Mangave ‘Mayan Queen’, and this is the first time it has flowered here at the Ruth Bancroft Garden.

-Brian