About
Agave 'Mission to Mars' is a tender evergreen perennial succulent that develops a rosette shape. Its arching green leaves are marked with burgundy-red spots, creating a visual effect that can make the foliage appear nearly all burgundy.
About the genus
Agave consists of either perennial or monocarpic succulents that develop rosettes of typically stiff, thick, spiny leaves. The plants produce funnel-shaped flowers in racemes or panicles that often exceed the height of the rosettes.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Cactus Succulent
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Mediterranean climate plants, Patio and container plants, Sub-tropical
- Toxicity
- Skin irritant. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets (dogs, cats): harmful if eaten. For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow under glass in cactus compost in full light. Water freely in summer, giving a low-nitrogen feed three or four times. Water less in autumn and keep dry in winter. Hardier than most agaves, and may survive outdoors in a warm position in very well-drained, slightly acid soil in full sun. See houseplant cacti and succulent cultivation for further advice
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed. Dies after flowering and does not produce offsets
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to scale insects
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free