Manfreda virginica is False Aloe or Rattlesnake Master and Agave virginica

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To be able to grow an Aloe outside in zone 7, it has to be unique and this one certainly is. The flowers are green and bloom atop a 4 to 6 foot tall stem that rockets up, up, up.

Full sun to part shade and dry to moist, well-drained average soil will keep this unique Aloe happy all the way down to zone 5. They are most often found on rocky glades and in open woods in their native surroundings, especially Arkansas.

The stem emerges from a rosette of fleshy leaves that are 8 or more inches long and 2-inches wide. On ours the leaves have red flecks.

Flower Rattlesnake Master

Several yellow-green flowers bloom on the top of the stalk and they are followed by fruit/seed capsules.

False Aloe flower stalk height


Manfreda native range
Their native range is FL to TX, NC, WVa, OH, IN, IL, and MO. 

No insect or disease problems.
EasyLiving Wildflowers has the seeds but I bought ours as plants. Bustani Plant Farm in central OK has them available.
Illinois Wildflowers say they are mostly pollinated by Sphinx moths and Noctuid moths that suck nectar from the flowers.

Very cool, unique plant for dry places in the garden~

Comments

Brittany said…
May I have the reference from which you got the map from? If you created it, may I cite you in my paper and utilize this data?

Thank you
Brittany
July 29, 2015 at 8:13 PM
Molly Day said…
Hi Brittany -
Yes, feel free to reference the post and cite the data.

The map is from the USDA Plant Database.
Here's the direct link to the reference site.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-96OPgmY9HGA/UeRhZG3gAmI/AAAAAAAADak/4tYFIZ92GTI/s1600/manfreda+range.png

Martha
July 30, 2015 at 6:01 AM
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