Mangaves make eye-catching plants for display in a conservatory or on the patio with striking spikey leaves and fast growing, architectural form, a tight rosette of evergreen foliage, pointed leaves have tiny spines like a fine comb.Drought tolerant, it will require little water, it can be grown outside all year in areas with very mild winters such as coastal and the city but like most tender perennials will need to be over wintered in a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory.
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Grow Mangave in a container using very free-draining soil or cactus compost. Grow in full sun outside or within a few metres of a south-facing window in a conservatory/glasshouse maintaining a temperature of 8° – 32°C (46° – 90°F). Mangave can be grown outdoors in the UK between spring and summer as a patio plant or planted in a free-draining, sunny border as perennial bedding.
Water regularly in summer but allow the compost to almost completely dry out between waterings following a ‘drenches between droughts’ regime. Feed every 2 months in the growing season with a cactus fertiliser. Keep dry in winter. Except in very mild areas they will need to be brought indoors over winter.
Repot every 3 years or so, moving up into a pot just slightly bigger than the previous one. Mangaves can be propagated very easily from offsets that form around the base.
