False aloe

The name 'Manfreda' isn't in my Stearn’s Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners. Wikipedia states the name honors the 14th-century Italian, Manfredus de Monte Imperiale. He was an important scholar of medical botany. You can read more about him and other European minds who influenced botanical history in The Naming of Names: The Search for Order in the World of Plants. (https://books.google.com/books?id=wvP92qGbI08C&dq=Manfredus+de+Monte+Imperiale+botanist&source=gbs_navlinks_s)

A previous botanical name for Manfreda virginica was Agave virginica.

The most frequently used common name is False aloe, but it's also known as Virginica agave and Rattlesnake master. The common name of Rattlesnake master is problematic as it is typically used for a different but somewhat similar plant- Eryngium yuccifolium.

The photo below shows the flowers of Eryngium yuccilfolium, the native wildflower more commonly associated with the name of Rattlesnake Master.

The tall spike bears up to 30 interesting and fragrant flowers. The flowers are on the top 3rd of the spike with lower flowers opening first, proceeding toward the top. Each flower may have a short pedicel. The ovary is the swollen portion at the base of the flower. The anthers are the showiest part of the flower. They criss cross across the top and are beige to white with purple markings, unique and interesting. The style is elongated with a white, 3-lobed stigma that seems to mimic a tiny flower.

Manfreda virginica is an agave plant arising from a bulb each spring. The thick, green leaves appear in late March to April and have a leathery feel. The lovely leaves may be completely green or decorated with purple splotches.

A tall stem or scape arises from the basal rosette in early summer. At maturity, the stem reaches a height between 3- 6 feet.

The wonderful clove-like fragrance of the flowers increases around dusk and persists until dawn.

Female and male sexual parts mature at different times (Dichogamy). This is the plants strategy to prevent self-pollination and hence, increase diversity. Each tiny flower opens in the early hours of the day. Later the same day (around dusk), the anthers dehisce (release pollen). The next evening the stigma will become receptive for pollination. It stays receptive into the following day. Nectar is found in the bottom of the calyx tube.

After flowering, flowers that have been fertilized develop enlarged green 3-celled capsules (frutis) containing the developing seeds. When the seeds are ripe, the fruits become brittle (no longer green) and may split open to spill the seeds. Rows of small, shiny black seeds are found inside each cell of the capsule. Seed dispersal may occur as seed falls from the opened capsules or, when the scape falls to the ground at the end of the season.

There is still much to learn about the pollinators of Manfreda virginica. It's primary pollinators are likely night flying hawk moths and other night flying moths. Daytime insect visitors include but aren't limited to the following- Snowberry Clearwing moths (Hemaris diffinis), American Bumble bee (Bombus pensylvanicus), Common Eastern Bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Halictid bees, Hummingbirds, and Syrphid flies. It's unclear which ones are effective pollinators. An interesting study by Groman et al studied night vs day insect visitors and their effect on seed set (Groman, J. D., & Pellmyr, O. (1999) The Pollination Biology of Manfreda virginica (Agavaceae): Relative Contribution of Diurnal and Nocturnal Visitors. Oikos, 87(2), 373–381. https://doi.org/10.2307/3546753). They found that night flying insects contributed to greater seed set of Manfreda virginica compared to day flying insects, even though more insects visited the flowers during the day. They found some day visiting insects only sought pollen and, hence, did not come in contact with the female parts of the flowers.

All that being said, there are many varied insects and birds supported by this interesting plant.

Bumble bees are day time visitors of Manfreda virginica. This video shows a Common Eastern Bumble bee (Bombus impatiens) flying from one set of anthers to another collecting pollen. Multiple Halictid bees are also seeking pollen from the anthers. The Bumble bee is much larger than the the Halictid bees and although they fly away when it lands, they are very quick to return.

Another day time visitor is the Ruby throated Hummingbird. These fast flyers are amazing and fun to watch as the dart from flower to flower.

Lastly, here is a lovely Syrphid fly who's landed on a filament.

It's interesting that related species of Manfreda virginica located in Mexico are pollinated primarily by nectarivorous bats, but this hasn't been documented with Manfreda virginica.

Manfreda virginica is found in rocky, limestone glades and open woods and woodland edges.

Manfreda virginica is native to most of the eastern half of the United States as well as Texas and Oklahoma. Natureserve doesn't have a ranking available for all states in which Manfreda virginica is native. Where data is available, it is documented as Critically Imperiled in West Virginia, Imperiled in Virginica and Illinois, Vulnerable in Florida, Indiana and Ohio. There is no ranking for other states in which it is found (Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

While I've read that Manfreda virginica is a fairly deer and rabbit resistant plant, this is not my experience. I find deer particularly love consuming the basal leaves in early spring. They must taste delicious at this time! But they will also bite off the growing stems. Obviously there will be no flowers and no seeds set with either event. I'm not sure if the deer really like them or if they are just curious and decide to have a taste.

Although, they aren't pollinators, dragonflies enjoy using the tall stems of Manfreda virginica as posts to rest and spot their prey. This one is a Blue dasher (Pachydiplax lonipennis).