False Aloe

False Aloe Care

Manfreda Virginica

What is the plant

Manfreda virginica, sometimes called "False Aloe", or "Eastern Agave", is a curious cousin of the Agaves. It is characterized by its rosette of lax, succulent leaves, and distinctive inflorescence and flowers. The rosetts vary from about 6" across to as much as about 28" in some plants, with individulal leaves measuring from about 4 to 18 inches long. The leaves are typically uniformily green and may be somewhat glaucous from a waxy "bloom", but there is considerable individual variation in leaf coloration, and different plants may exhibit varying degrees of purplish/brown mottling, with some individuals producing heavily mottled leaves reminiscent of those of Manfreda maculosa.

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Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

min -4°C

Hardiness zone

6b - 9b

Difficulty

Easy

Hibernation

Cold Period

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Mature False aloe e plants are very drought tolerant. You generally only need to water them if you've had a long stretch without rainfall and the soil is completely dry. However, when you are first establishing a plant, water it every four or five days for the first month. Then, water once a week, gradually spacing watering to every other week, depending on rainfall.
Fertilizer
Feeding typically isn't necessary for False aloe. In fact, feeding encourages flowering, which you don’t want to happen too soon because most agave plants die after flowering.
Sunlight
False aloeplants prefer a spot with full sun, but they can tolerate a little shade. The hotter the climate is, the more shade they can handle.

Disease diagnosis

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Soil
False aloe will tolerate any well-draining soil, but their preference is rocky or sandy soil. Poor soil drainage can lead to root rot, which can kill a plant.
Temperature
The majority of False aloe can't tolerate frost and only can grow as far north as USDA growing zones 8 or 9. But there are some, such as Agave parryi, that are reliably perennial to zone 5.
Popularity
47 people already have this plant 5 people have added this plant to their wishlists