Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mangave Inkblot
Mangave 'Inkblot' is a low, spreading mangave with thick, dark green leaves covered in dark red spots that look like spilled ink. It grows about 8 to 12 inches tall and 1.5 to 2 feet wide, a good fit for patio pots, small gardens and the front of a bed. The spots get darker the more sun it gets. After a few years it sends up tall spikes of lavender and white flowers.
Best for: patio pots, small gardens and the front of a bed, planted alone or 2 to 3 feet apart in a group. A low, spotted mangave that makes pups and keeps growing after it blooms.
At 8 to 12 inches tall and up to about 2 feet wide, it fits a patio pot. Pick a pot slightly wider than the rosette, with a drainage hole.
For a low group at the front of a bed, space plants 2 to 3 feet apart, centre to centre. It makes pups at the base as it grows.
One parent is Mangave 'Bloodspot', a compact gray-green mangave with red spots. 'Inkblot' is lower and darker, with far more spots on each leaf.
It can be hurt below about 20°F, so cover it on hard freeze nights. Soggy soil can rot it. In too much shade the spots fade.
- Plant to plant2-3 ft apart
- Tight group2 ft apart
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°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 dies, but pups usually appear a year or so before it blooms, so the plant keeps going. Twist or cut pups free and let them dry a few days before planting.
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 'Inkblot' get?
It grows about 8 to 12 inches tall and 1.5 to 2 feet wide. It is a low, spreading mangave.
How far apart should I plant Mangave 'Inkblot'?
Space plants 24 to 36 inches apart, centre to centre. The Spacing tab shows the numbers for a group planting.
Why are the spots on my Inkblot fading?
The red spots get darker with more sun. In too much shade or indoors they fade, and they come back after a couple of weeks of direct sun.
What are the parents of Mangave 'Inkblot'?
It is a cross between Mangave 'Bloodspot' and Manfreda 'Chocolate Chips', a spotted manfreda. 'Bloodspot' itself comes from an agave and a manfreda.
How fast does it grow?
It grows at a moderate rate. Like most mangaves, it grows faster than most agaves.
Does it need afternoon shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun to at least half-day 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 when the soil is dry, then let it dry out again. Soggy soil can rot it.
How cold hardy is Mangave 'Inkblot'?
It handles cold down to about 20°F. On colder nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet down to the ground, not plastic. Move potted plants next to the house.
When does 'Inkblot' flower?
After a few years, it sends up tall spikes of lavender and white flowers in late spring to early summer.
Does it die after it blooms?
The rosette that blooms dies, like an agave. But 'Inkblot' makes pups at the same time, often a year before it blooms, so the plant keeps growing.
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 Inkblot for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mangave 'Inkblot' is a low, spreading mangave with dark green leaves covered in dark red spots. It comes from a cross between Mangave 'Bloodspot' and a spotted manfreda. Below is what to expect in the Valley, from size and spacing to sun, water, cold, flowers and pups.
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How far apart do you plant Mangave 'Inkblot'?
Plant it 24 to 36 inches apart, centre to centre. It grows about 1.5 to 2 feet wide, and it makes pups at the base as it grows.
How big does Mangave 'Inkblot' get in Arizona?
It stays about 8 to 12 inches tall and 1.5 to 2 feet wide. It is low and spreading, so it suits pots, small gardens and the front of a bed.
Mangave 'Inkblot' vs Mangave 'Bloodspot'
'Bloodspot' is one of Inkblot's parents. 'Bloodspot' is a compact gray-green rosette with red spots and maroon edges. 'Inkblot' has dark green leaves so covered in spots they look inked.
Does Mangave 'Inkblot' need full sun in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun to at least half-day sun. In the Valley, some shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer helps prevent leaf burn. Too much shade fades the spots.
Watering Mangave 'Inkblot' in the Valley
Once it is rooted, it needs little water. Water deeply when the soil is dry, then let it dry again. It needs well-drained soil, since soggy soil can rot it.
Is Mangave 'Inkblot' cold hardy?
It handles cold down to about 20°F. Wet soil in winter hurts more than the cold, so keep it on the dry side. Cover it on hard freeze nights and uncover it in the morning.
Mangave 'Inkblot' flowers and pups
After a few years it sends up tall spikes of lavender and white flowers. The blooming rosette dies, but pups at the base keep the plant growing.
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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