Silver Fox Mangave: a Garden Wonder

The Silver Fox Mangave truly is a garden wonder. With striking silver colored foliage that can be difficult to capture in a photograph. As with all Mangave plants, you quickly notice the striking colors and patterns of the foliage. The more Sun exposure the Mangave has, the deeper, more dramatic the foliage color is.

Garden Wonder Silver Fox Mangave #Mangave #SilverFoxMangave #Garden #Gardening #MadAboutMangave #DroughtTolerant #Succulent #WaltersGardensInc — Garden Wonder – Silver Fox Mangave (photo by Walters Gardens Inc.)

In a previous post, we talked about 14 Mangave Plants for Sunny gardens. These plants are easy to grow and maintain. Mangave plants are an intergeneric cross of Manfreda and Agave plants. An extraordinary combination of two worlds. A better growth rate with stunning foliage patterns from the Manfreda plant. And equally important are the attributes of the Agave plant line of a better growth habit and the plant’s refinement. A new hybrid from the talented team at Walters Gardens. As a comparison, the Mangave plant is to the full Sun garden what a hosta is to a full shade garden. Although, hosta plants do bloom whereas the Mangave plants do not bloom. Both plants are invaluable for their stunning foliage colors and patterns. And both types of plants bring strong garden interest to an otherwise lackluster garden.

Characteristics of Mangave Plants

With a growth habit that is low growing but wide, the most striking feature of the Mangave succulent is the foliage texture and colors. Foliage coloring and spotting is derived from the Manfreda bloodline. The thick and wide leaves are from the Agave line. Mangave plants have a softer foliage than the Agave. The spotting markings of the succulent become more intense when exposed to more sunlight. They do best with 6+ hours of daily sunlight.

Silver Fox Mangave #Mangave #SilverFoxMangave #Garden #Gardening #MadAboutMangave #DroughtTolerant #Succulent #WaltersGardensInc — 2 year old Silver Fox Mangave

About the Silver Fox Mangave

Exceptional coloring, Silver Fox resembles the white fur of a silver fox. After a closer examination, you’ll notice that the leaves are actually a light green covered by a thick waxy coating. The coating gives this variety its magnificent glowing color. On the underside of the leaves, there is a light blue-purple spotting. An upright stunning habit, this variety of Mangave has thick, arching leaves with defined marginal teeth.

Additional characteristics specific to the Silver Fox succulent plant:

Grows in zones 9 to 11
Plant in full Sun where there is 6+ hours of sunlight
Reaches 8 to 10 inches high with a spread of 16 to 18 inches wide
Foliage colors are shades of silvery green with a light blue-purple spotty underneath
Water needs are average to low
Drought tolerant once the plant has been established
Tolerant of poor, average, slightly acidic, slightly alkaline, and neutral soil conditions
Resistant to both deer and rabbits
Growth rate is slow

Soil Preparation for Silver Fox Mangave

Prepare soil in a Sunny garden area by adding compost
Work compost into the soil so that soil is well draining
Potting soil and garden soil should not hold any water but release excess water
If grubs or Japanese Beetles are a problem, add a little organic Milky Spore powder to the soil and mix it in

How to Grow Sun Loving Silver Fox Succulent

Plant Silver Fox Mangave in a garden area with full Sun
If you are planting several Silver Fox Mangave plants, space plants about 20 inches apart
Fertilize using ½ strength during the growing Summer season

When to Plant Silver Fox Mangave

Grow mangave in a container that is slightly larger than the plant’s mature size. In this case about 20 inches wide. Plant anytime of the year for indoor growing
Plant Silver Fox Mangave in the ground once the temperatures rise above 60 degrees and remain above 60 degrees

Tips for How to Grow Silver Fox

Once establish, water lightly every couple of weeks
To maintain the silvery-grey shine give Silver Fox more exposure to UV light which lightens the foliage
Plant in a container for patio growing
Garden styles for Silver Fox fit nicely into an eclectic, formal, modern, rock or succulent garden
Grow Silver Fox as a specimen plant, or as a garden focal point
North American native

Mangave Silver Fox Mangave #Mangave #SilverFoxMangave #Garden #Gardening #MadAboutMangave #DroughtTolerant #Succulent #WaltersGardensInc — Silver Fox Mangave (photo by Walters Gardens Inc)

Companion Plants for Silver Fox Mangave

Grow Silver Fox with these perennials:

Lavender Ice Delosperma

Sweetie Pie Dianthus

Elijah Blue Festuca

Burgundy Bunny Pennisetum

Superstar Sedum

As noted above, Mangave plants are easy to grow and don’t require much attention once they are established. With a little bit of water, a lot of Sunshine, and well-draining soil, Mangave plants are ideal for low maintenance gardens. As the days become warmer and with the end of Spring nearby, our Mangave plants will spend more time outdoors basking under the Sun. Sunnier days with improved glowing foliage, our Silver Fox plants will enjoy warmer weather.

In conclusion ….

We hope you learned a lot about the Silver Fox Mangave plants. Tell us what you think about this beautiful succulent. And which Mangave is your favorite? To learn more about Mangave plants read our post 14 Mangave Plants for Sunny Gardens. If you enjoyed this post . . . .