Scientific: Manfreda maculosa (Synonyms: Agave maculata, Agave maculosa var. minor, Polianthes maculosa)
Common: Spice lily, Texas tubersoe, rattlesnake agave, false aloe
Family: Asparagaceae
Origin: Southern United States including Texas and south into Latin America.
Pronounciation: Man-FRE-da ma-cu-LO-sa
Hardiness zones
Sunset 12-14
USDA 8-11
Landscape Use: Textural accent ground cover for small planter beds, container plant, novelty plant, collection gardens, shade gardens. In Phoenix, this is a great, informal spreading plant for a natural setting under tree canopy shade.
Form & Character: Low prostrate and spreading, bright, cheerful with a tinge of mystery caused by the purple and white flowers.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, herbaceous, succulent perennial, prostrate and slowly clumping and spreading to form colonies by underground stems called "rhizomes".
Foliage/Texture: Narrow lanceolate, strap-like succulent leaves to 8- to 18-inches long, basal, dull green to greyish green, cupped, often with purpkle red spots (more so in sun than shade); medium coarse texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Spice lily grows solitary elongated flower stalks in April that extend to heights of 7 to 12 feet. Flowers are intricate, meant for close inspection, with extended anthers and petals that are bicolored. Fruits are an enlarged green capsule.
Seasonal Color: None, except foliage will redden during winter chill.
Temperature: Tolerant to 18oF, struggles to survive in full sun in Phoenix during summer.
Light: Full to partial sun, best in Phoenix in dappled light shade.
Soil: Tolerant of soil alkalinity.
Watering: Needs regular irrigations in desert areas to remain full.
Pruning: None except to remove fading flower stalks or to divide clump to control spread.
Propagation: Division of clump or seed.
Disease and Pests: None (except occassional urban herbivory by those demon rabbits and javelina), this is a very tough plant.
Additional comments: Spice lily looks delicate, but is surprisingly tough, a 'must have' plant for an informal, natural, shaded garden spot where it can 'colonize'. Manfreda is a genus of about 20 species of flowering plants. There are many wonderful cultivated varieties incuding 'Helen Wynans' and 'Macho Mocha'.
Botanical wonders: Manfreda will hybridize with plants in the genera Polianthes and Agave. Horticultural intergeneric crosses of Manfreda with small Agave species has resulted in a number of beautiful and unique cultivated selections of the hybrid plant called 'Mangaves'. They are currently becoming very popular!
