Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mangave Bloodspot
Mangave 'Bloodspot' is a compact, agave-like rosette of gray-green leaves covered in dark red spots, with maroon edges lined in fine teeth. It stays about 1 foot tall and 1 to 2 feet wide, so it fits a pot, a small bed or a rock garden. One of its parents is the same agave sold as Jet Tip Agave, crossed with a spotted manfreda. Give it sun with some shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer, and water only when the soil is dry.
Best for: patio pots, small desert beds and rock gardens where you want an agave look in a small, spotted plant. A compact mangave that stays about a foot tall and works in a pot or planted out.
It stays about 1 foot tall and 1 to 2 feet wide, a good size for a patio pot. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining cactus mix.
The dark red spots and maroon edges show best where you can see them up close. Plant it at the front of a bed or among rocks.
One parent is Agave macroacantha, sold as Jet Tip Agave. Planted together, the two show the family look, one spiny and blue-gray, one softer and spotted.
It can be hurt below about 20 to 25°F, so cover it on hard freeze nights. Soggy soil can rot it. Hot afternoon sun in summer can burn the leaves.
- Plant to plant2-3 ft apart, center to center
Plant into dry soil and wait about 1 to 2 weeks before the first water, then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once rooted, soak it and let the soil dry. It takes more water than agaves and grows faster with it, but soggy soil rots it. Give little or no water in winter.
In the Valley, give it some shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer. Put light shade cloth over a new plant for its first few weeks, longer if planted in early summer.
It can be hurt below about 20 to 25°F. On freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet down to the ground, not plastic, and uncover it in the morning. Move potted plants under a patio cover or next to the house.
The rosette that blooms can die, but 'Bloodspot' often lives on or leaves many pups behind. Twist or cut pups free, let them dry a few days out of the sun, then plant them.
Feeding is optional, and if you feed, use a light succulent fertilizer in spring or early summer, never on a new plant and never in fall or winter. No pruning is needed, just remove dead leaves at the base.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Mangave 'Bloodspot' get?
It stays about 1 foot tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. The leaves grow upright in a compact rosette.
What are the parents of Mangave 'Bloodspot'?
It is a cross between Agave macroacantha, the agave sold as Jet Tip Agave, and Manfreda maculosa, a spotted manfreda. The spots come from the manfreda side.
Why are the spots fading?
The red spots get stronger with more sun. In low light or indoors they fade, and they come back after a couple of weeks of direct sun.
Does it have spines?
The leaf edges have fine teeth, but mangave teeth are much softer than an agave's. It is far easier to handle than its Jet Tip Agave parent.
Does it need afternoon shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun to light shade. In the Valley, some shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer helps keep the leaves from burning.
How often should I water it?
It needs little water once it is rooted. Water deeply, then let the soil dry before watering again. It takes a little more water than most agaves, but soggy soil can rot it.
How cold hardy is 'Bloodspot'?
It can be hurt below about 20 to 25°F. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet down to the ground, not plastic. Move potted plants next to the house.
Does Mangave 'Bloodspot' make pups?
It often grows as a single rosette, but it can make pups, sometimes many around bloom time. Twist a pup off or cut it free with a clean knife, and let it dry a few days before planting.
Does 'Bloodspot' die after it blooms?
The rosette that blooms can die, like an agave. But 'Bloodspot' often lives on after blooming or leaves pups behind, so the plant carries on.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, it does well in a pot or planted in the garden. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining cactus mix, and water only when the soil is dry.
Can snout weevils get mangaves?
Yes. The agave snout weevil can attack mangaves too. Watch for wilting or wrinkled leaves and a plant that rocks loose. Good drainage and not overwatering help most.
Mangave Bloodspot for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mangave 'Bloodspot' is a cross between Agave macroacantha, sold as Jet Tip Agave, and a spotted manfreda. It makes a compact rosette of gray-green leaves with dark red spots and maroon edges. Below is what to expect from it in a Valley pot or bed, from size, sun and water to cold, blooming and pups.
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How big does Mangave 'Bloodspot' get?
It stays about 1 foot tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. It is a compact mangave, so it suits pots, small beds and rock gardens.
What is Mangave 'Bloodspot' a cross of?
It is a cross between Agave macroacantha and Manfreda maculosa. The agave parent is the one sold as Jet Tip Agave. The manfreda parent brings the red spots and softer teeth.
Does Mangave 'Bloodspot' need shade in Arizona?
It grows in full sun to light shade. In the Valley, some shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer helps keep the leaves from burning. More sun means stronger spots.
How often do you water a mangave in the Valley?
Once it is rooted, it needs little water. Water deeply, then let the soil dry out before the next watering. It needs soil that drains, since soggy soil can rot it.
Is Mangave 'Bloodspot' cold hardy?
It can be hurt below about 20 to 25°F. On hard freeze nights, cover it with frost cloth down to the ground and uncover it in the morning. Potted plants can move next to the house.
Does Mangave 'Bloodspot' die after flowering?
The blooming rosette can die, like an agave. But 'Bloodspot' often survives blooming or leaves pups, so the plant carries on.
Mangave 'Bloodspot' vs Jet Tip Agave
Jet Tip Agave is one of Bloodspot's parents. Jet Tip has blue-gray leaves with long, sharp black tips. Bloodspot is gray-green with red spots and softer teeth, and it grows faster.
Planting a mangave in caliche soil
Mangaves need soil that drains. If you hit caliche, dig all the way through it so water can drain out of the hole. Water that sits on caliche can rot the roots.
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