Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mangave Falling Waters
Mangave 'Falling Waters' is a low, wide rosette of blue-green leaves that arch out and spill downward like a fountain. It stays about 8 to 15 inches tall and spreads to about 30 inches across, so it looks best where it has room to fan out. Faint spots on the leaves turn darker in strong sun. It is a cross between a spotted manfreda and Agave ovatifolia, the agave sold as Whale's Tongue Agave.
Best for: wide pots, the front of a bed and small succulent gardens. A low mangave with arching blue-green leaves that spreads much wider than it is tall.
It spreads to about 30 inches but stays low. Pick a pot slightly wider than the rosette, with a drainage hole and fast-draining cactus mix.
It stays under about 15 inches tall, so it fits the front of a bed. The leaves arch out and down like a fountain, and that shape shows best up close.
Its blue-green color comes from its agave parent, Whale's Tongue Agave. That agave grows 3 feet or more tall and 5 to 8 feet wide, while this one stays low.
Wet soil, most of all in winter, can rot it. Hot afternoon sun in summer can burn the leaves. Its full cold limit has not been tested.
- 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 handles cold to about 10 to 20°F when the soil stays dry. Wet winter soil hurts it more than the cold, so do not water in winter. Cover it in a hard freeze.
Each rosette blooms once, after a few years, and that rosette dies. Pups at the base carry the plant on. 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 'Falling Waters' get?
It stays low, about 8 to 15 inches tall, and spreads to about 30 inches across. The leaves arch out and down, so it grows much wider than it is tall.
What is Mangave 'Falling Waters' a cross of?
Its parents are a spotted manfreda, Manfreda maculosa, and Agave ovatifolia. That agave is the one sold as Whale's Tongue Agave, which gives it the blue-green color.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly to moderately. Most mangaves grow faster than agaves, but this one is on the slower side for a mangave.
Why are the spots so faint?
The spots on 'Falling Waters' are faint to begin with. They turn darker in strong sun. In low light they fade, and more sun brings them back.
Does it have sharp teeth?
The leaf edges are lined with teeth. They start out flexible and can get harder as the plant ages. They are still softer than the teeth on most agaves.
Does it need afternoon shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun to part sun. 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 'Falling Waters'?
It is rated to about 10 to 20°F, but its full cold limit has not been tested. Keep it dry in winter, and cover it with frost cloth on hard freeze nights.
What size pot does it need?
Use a pot slightly wider than the rosette, since it grows wide and low. Make sure the pot has a drainage hole and fill it with fast-draining cactus mix.
Does it die after blooming?
The rosette that blooms dies, like an agave. Mangaves usually make pups at the base, and those carry the plant on.
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 Falling Waters for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mangave 'Falling Waters' grows as a low, wide rosette of arching, blue-green leaves with toothed edges and faint spots. It comes from a cross between a spotted manfreda and Agave ovatifolia, sold as Whale's Tongue Agave. This page covers its size, how it grows in Valley sun and heat, water, cold, pots and pups.
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How wide does Mangave 'Falling Waters' get?
It spreads to about 30 inches across but stays only 8 to 15 inches tall. Leave it room to fan out, in a wide pot or at the front of a bed.
Mangave 'Falling Waters' vs Whale's Tongue Agave
Whale's Tongue Agave is one of its parents. Both plants have blue-green leaves. 'Falling Waters' is much smaller and lower, with arching leaves and faint spots from its manfreda parent.
Can Mangave 'Falling Waters' take full sun in Arizona?
It grows in full sun to part sun. In the Valley, some shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer helps keep the leaves from burning. More sun makes the spots darker.
Watering a mangave in Valley heat
Once it is rooted, it needs little water. Water deeply, then let the soil dry out before the next watering. Soggy soil can rot it, so plant it where water drains away.
Is Mangave 'Falling Waters' cold hardy in Phoenix?
It is rated to about 10 to 20°F, though its full cold limit is untested. Wet soil in winter hurts it more than the cold. Keep it dry and cover it on hard freeze nights.
Best pot for Mangave 'Falling Waters'
Choose a pot slightly wider than the rosette, since it grows wide and low. Use fast-draining cactus mix and a pot with a drainage hole, and let the mix dry between waterings.
Do mangaves make pups?
Most mangaves make pups at the base, often around bloom time. Twist a pup off or cut it free with a clean knife, let it dry a few days out of the sun, then plant it.
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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