Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 9a |
|---|---|
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | arching |
| Mature height | 12 inches |
| Spread | 18 inches |
| Light requirements | full sun |
| Moisture requirements | dry to average |
| Plant origin | hybrid |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Pineapple Express Mangave
Botanical name: Mangave ‘Pineapple Express’
The refined, spiky habit resembles a pineapple top; dark green succulent leaves are long and slender with pronounced burgundy spotting; grown primarily for foliage; a great low-maintenance patio plant; must have good drainage.
Other names: Manfreda x Agave
Ornamental Features
Pineapple Express Mangave's attractive serrated sword-like leaves remain dark green in color with distinctive burgundy spots and tinges of silvery blue throughout the season. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Pineapple Express Mangave is an herbaceous perennial with a shapely form and gracefully arching foliage. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Pineapple Express Mangave is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Rock/Alpine Gardens, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Planting and Growing
Pineapple Express Mangave will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 18 inches. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years.
This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.
Pineapple Express Mangave is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a canvas of foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
