x <i>Mangave </i>plant named ‘Frosted Elegance’

Abstract

A new and unique x Mangave plant named Frosted Elegance characterized by moderate to slow growth rate, compact habit and lanceolate foliage with glaucous blue-green margins and light blue-chartreuse centers with sharp firm mucro and flexible marginal teeth that become firm as they develop more pigment distally to greyed-purple.

Claims

1. A new and distinct cultivar of ornamental x Mangave plant named Frosted Elegance as herein described and illustrated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The photograph of the new plant demonstrates the overall appearance of the new plant including the unique traits as a three-year-old plant grown in a container initially in a greenhouse and followed up with growing in an outdoor trial garden with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. The colors are as accurate as reasonably possible with color reproductions. Ambient light spectrum, temperature, source and direction may cause the appearance of minor variation in color.

(2) FIG. 1 shows the new plant in the landscape.

(3) FIG. 2 shows a close-up of the foliage of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

(4) The following descriptions and color references are based on the 2015 edition of The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where common dictionary terms are used. The new plant, x Mangave Frosted Elegance, has not been observed under all possible environments. The phenotype may vary slightly with different environmental conditions, such as temperature, light, fertility, moisture and maturity levels, but without any change in the genotype. The following observations and size descriptions are of a three-year-old plant in a commercial wholesale greenhouse in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental water and fertilizer as needed. Botanical classification: Agave times x Mangave hybrid; Variety denomination: Frosted Elegance; Parentage: A proprietary unnamed selected form of Agave nizandensis as the female or seed parent; x Mangave Bloodspot as the male or pollen parent; Propagation: Removal offsets, core division and sterile plant tissue culture; Time to initiate roots from tissue culture: About 21 days; Growth rate: Moderate; Crop time: About 18 to 20 weeks to finish during lengthening spring days from an established 25 mm tissue culture plug to a 65 mm diameter container; Rooting habit: Fleshy, lightly branching, with roots up to 15 cm long; Root color: Nearest RHS 158C; Plant shape and habit: Succulent herbaceous perennial with basal rosettes of up to about 46 fleshy leaves radially emerging and outwardly reaching from central rhizome, producing a symmetrical rounded mound; Plant size: Foliage height about 17.0 cm tall from soil line to the top of the leaves and to about 38.0 cm wide at the widest point at soil line; Foliage description: Lanceolate; simple; sarcous; fibrous; glabrous; margins finely dentate with semi-flexible teeth; apex acute with firm mucro; base truncate, sessile, semi-clasping; Leaf size: To about 18.0 cm long, about 35.0 mm wide near middle and 5.0 mm thick near base, average about 15.5 cm long, 30.0 mm wide and 5.0 mm thick; typically bi-laterally symmetrical; glabrous and glaucous above and below; margin to about 14.0 mm wide and center to about 12.0 mm wide; teeth initially flexible becoming firm, curved backward slightly toward stem; 2.0 mm long and 3.0 mm across at base about 8.0 mm apart; mucro about 5.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide; Foliage fragrance: None observed; Leaf blade color: Adaxial (low ultraviolet exposure).Young and mature margin between RHS 146B and RHS N138C, center nearest RHS N148C. Abaxial (low ultraviolet exposure).Young and mature margin and center between RHS 146B and RHS N138C. Adaxial (high ultraviolet exposure).Young and mature margin between RHS 146B and RHS N138C, center nearest RHS N148C. Abaxial (high ultraviolet exposure).Young margin and center nearest blend between RHS 148B, RHS N138C and RHS 191B. Teeth.Abaxial and adaxial on young foliage nearest RHS 160C; on mature foliage distally nearest RHS 187C and proximally nearest RHS 191D. Mucro: Terminal spine; firm; straight; sharply pointed; about 5.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide; Mucro color.Abaxial and adaxial on young foliage between RHS 187A and RHS 187B; on mature foliage nearest RHS N187A. Petiole: Sessile; Veins: Parallel; not distinct; Flowering a fruiting has not yet been observed. Disease resistance: x Mangave Frosted Elegance has not been observed to be resistant to diseases common to other x Mangave beyond that which is normal for Agave or Manfreda. The plant is xeromorphic and survives well with minimal water once established. Hardiness at least from USDA zone 9 to 11. Full extent of winter hardiness has not been tested.