Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mangave Macho Mocha
Mangave 'Macho Mocha' is a big, bold rosette of thick, rubbery leaves so covered in brown-purple spots that the whole plant looks purple. It can grow 1 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, with an agave look but without the sharp spines. It handles cold down to about 10°F when kept dry, and it grows in sun or light shade. It came from a wild cross found in Mexico, grown from collected seed.
Best for: a focal point in a bed, a large pot, and spots with some afternoon shade. A big, soft-leaved mangave that gives an agave look without the sharp spines.
It can spread 3 to 6 feet wide, so give it room as the main plant in a bed. It has the bold shape of an agave, but its thick leaves have no sharp spines.
It does well in a large pot. Use a pot with a drainage hole and fast-draining cactus mix, and let the mix dry between waterings.
It grows in full sun to light shade. In the Valley, a spot with some shade from the hot afternoon sun in summer helps keep the leaves from burning.
At 3 to 6 feet wide, it outgrows small spots. Wet soil, most of all in winter, can rot it. The agave snout weevil can attack it.
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.
It grows in full sun to light shade. 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°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.
It stays a single rosette until it blooms, then several pups come up under it, and the plant usually lives on. Cut pups free with a clean knife, let them dry a few days, 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 'Macho Mocha' get?
It can reach 1 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It is one of the larger mangaves, so give it room to spread.
Does Macho Mocha have spines?
It has the look of an agave without the sharp spines. The leaves are thick and rubbery, and mangave teeth are much softer than an agave's.
How cold hardy is Macho Mocha?
It handles cold down to about 10°F, with reports of plants living through 9°F. Wet winter soil is the bigger risk, so keep it on the dry side in winter.
What makes the leaves look purple?
The gray-green leaves are covered in brown-purple spots, so thick near the tips that the plant looks purple. The spots show best in sun.
Can it grow in shade?
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. A long drink now and then helps in the hottest months, but soggy soil can rot it.
Does Macho Mocha die after it blooms?
It usually does not die after blooming. It blooms rarely, on a thick flower spike up to about 8 feet tall. The plant has lived on after blooming, with several pups coming up under it.
Does it make pups?
It stays a single rosette until it blooms. Then several pups come up from under the plant. Twist or cut them free with a clean knife, let them dry a few days, then plant them.
What is Macho Mocha a cross of?
It is a cross between Manfreda variegata and Agave celsii, a wild cross grown from seed collected in Mexico. The spots and soft leaves come from the manfreda side.
Can snout weevils get Macho Mocha?
Yes. The agave snout weevil can attack it. Watch for wilting or wrinkled leaves and a plant that rocks loose. Good drainage and not overwatering help most.
Mangave Macho Mocha for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mangave 'Macho Mocha' is a large mangave with thick, rubbery gray-green leaves covered in brown-purple spots. It came from a wild cross between a manfreda and an agave in Mexico. This page covers its size, sun and shade in the Valley, water, cold, blooming and the pups it makes.
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How big does Mangave 'Macho Mocha' get?
It can reach 1 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. It is one of the biggest mangaves, so plant it where it has room or in a large pot.
Is Mangave 'Macho Mocha' cold hardy in Arizona?
It handles cold down to about 10°F when the soil stays dry. That makes it one of the more cold hardy mangaves. Wet winter soil hurts it more than the cold.
Can Macho Mocha grow in 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. The spots show best with some sun.
Mangave 'Macho Mocha' vs agave
Macho Mocha has the bold rosette of an agave but soft, rubbery leaves without sharp spines. It grows faster than most agaves and usually lives on after it blooms.
Watering Macho Mocha in the Valley
Once it is rooted, it needs little water. Water deeply, then let the soil dry out. A long drink now and then helps in summer heat, but soggy soil can rot it.
Does Mangave 'Macho Mocha' make pups?
It stays a single rosette until it blooms. Then several pups come up from under the plant, and the clump carries on.
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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