Agave virginica

Tony Avent tony@plantdelights.com
Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:02:25 PDT
Pamela:

I'll let you know when I here updates on the trigenerics. I am supposed 
to get trial plants of the xVelox, but nothing yet. I agree that x 
Mangave 'Macha Mocha' is an amazing plant. We are bulking up number of 
the white edge version, M. 'Espresso', which is truly amazing. 
Hopefully, we'll have enough by spring. You can see an image at 
http://plantdelights.com/gallery/Public-Agaves/… I wonder if 
there are other instances of a tuberous genera being crossed to a 
non-tuberous genera?

Tony Avent
Plant Delights Nursery @
Juniper Level Botanic Garden
9241 Sauls Road
Raleigh, North Carolina  27603  USA
Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F
Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F
USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
email tony@plantdelights.com
website  http://www.plantdelights.com/
phone 919 772-4794
fax  919 772-4752
"I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times" - Avent



Pamela Slate wrote:
> Hi Tony-
> Yes, it was Jon's crosses that were of great interest with wonderful, unusual
> (for Agavaceae) flowers that are fragrant.  If I recall, he redid the crosses
> that someone else did in a dissertation and that Howard and Ogden both praised
> them for garden worthiness.  Anyway, Jon's interest was commercial production
> and I hope it will happen.
>
> Out here, Mtn. States Wholesale is in production with x Mangave 'Macho Mocha'
> and I feel it deserves to be popular since it has captured some of the essential
> magic of both genera.  Is the triple cross nearly ready for your trials?  
>
> As for lumping and splitting, perhaps Agavaceae, except for Agave itself, will
> not be so difficult as for some other families, since, as you clarify, they have
> striking differences - but looked what happened to Cactaceae?  Regardless, it
> seems taxonomists will have careers for time immemorial for they will never
> agree.
>
> And when do we get to see the amazing Velox?!  How was it done?
>
> Thanks for your comments,
> Pamela
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On
> Behalf Of Tony Avent
> Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 3:06 PM
> To: Pacific Bulb Society
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Agave virginica
>
> Pamela:
>
> The x Polifreda (polianthes x manfreda) are in flower here now and are 
> quite interesting. These are still on trial and have not yet been 
> released to the market. I look forward to trying the new horticultural 
> menage-a-trois x Polimangaves (agave x (polianthes x manfreda) from 
> breeder Jon Lindstrom. From a breeding point of view, this is quite 
> fascinating.
>
> Jim mentioned the lumping of manfreda, agave, and polianthes, with which 
> I do not agree. One of the confusing factors is that some new species of 
> "agaves" were published from cultivated collections in Europe which 
> turned out to be x Mangaves and not Agaves. The fact that agaves are 
> monocarpic and evergreen while manfredas are decidious and 
> non-monocarpic should surely be enough to retain separate genera. Just 
> because they cross doesn't make them the same genera...except to some 
> taxonomists who insist that if they do cross, this constitutes lumping 
> the genera. Wait until they see the new x Velox...a cross of Verbena and 
> Phlox (reportedly a result of protoplast fusion)....we're talking 
> different families. That should turn the taxonomists on their heads.
>
> Tony Avent
> Plant Delights Nursery @
> Juniper Level Botanic Garden
> 9241 Sauls Road
> Raleigh, North Carolina  27603  USA
> Minimum Winter Temps 0-5 F
> Maximum Summer Temps 95-105F
> USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
> email tony@plantdelights.com
> website  http://www.plantdelights.com/
> phone 919 772-4794
> fax  919 772-4752
> "I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three
> times" - Avent
>
>
>
> Pamela Slate wrote:
>   
>> Jim,
>> I grow a Manfreda Agave cross that is marketed as Mangave 'Macho Mocha,' a
>>     
> very
>   
>> tough and handsome plant.  It's foliage and flowers have Manfreda
>> characteristics but unlike Agave spp., it is not monocarpic.  Obviously, this
>> isn't a cold climate but a hot one and these plants thrive here.  However, the
>> Manfreda parentage makes them prime rabbit food and I  must use them as
>> container plants.  For a photo and much more info on this plant, see:
>>
>>     
> http://smgrowers.com/products/plants/…
>   
>> 921&page=
>>
>> If this doesn't exactly answer your question, at least it's more information,
>> including an observation from our member Tony Avent who has reported the
>>     
> plants
>   
>> have survived at 9 degrees F.  I would think you could grow it successfully
>> though you might need mulch and/or frost cloth in some winters.  
>>
>> I'd like to grow Polianthes and would love to see the hybrids that have been
>> produced from the Southeast - if anyone knows more about sources for them,
>> please let me know.  (I'm familiar with the products at Yucco Do).
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> Pamela Slate
>> Carefree AZ
>>
>>  
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:pbs-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On
>> Behalf Of Jim McKenney
>> Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 12:49 PM
>> To: 'Pacific Bulb Society'
>> Subject: [pbs] Agave virginica
>>
>> My plants of Agave (Manfreda) virginica have finally put on some size, and I
>> check them daily for signs of bloom (no signs yet, but it’s early). 
>>
>>  
>>
>> These are the oddest plants. Although at first glance they look like some
>> sort of xerophytic plant, when you touch them there is a surprise: the
>> foliage looks as if it ought to be turgid, but instead it’s floppy and
>> rubbery. More than anything else it reminds me of a plant whose root system
>> has rotted and whose leaves are flagging. 
>>
>>  
>>
>> Are any of you growing the Polianthes – Manfreda hybrids or the Polianthes –
>> Agave hybrids in cold climates?  
>>
>>  
>>
>> Jim McKenney
>>
>> jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com
>>
>> Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, 39.03871º North, 77.09829º West, USDA zone
>> 7
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