I’m a fan of dad jokes. Fun, goofy jokes that make kids’ eyes roll. My girls actually gave me an entire book of dad jokes that I peruse every now and then, especially if the opportunity arises to embarrass them. If you’ve come to our annual Easter Egg Hunt, you’ve heard me tell some classic dad-inspired bunny jokes as we watch the minutes tick away to begin hunting for eggs. (Why doesn’t the Easter Bunny get hot in summer? . . . He has hare conditioning!)

Funny, right? Anyhow, I’m always on the lookout for a good dad joke. And wouldn’t you know it, I found one growing right in my backyard. When we changed out some plants in our pool area, we wanted something really drought-tolerant, with a unique leaf texture, something we wouldn’t have to fuss with very much. We sure found it! And about two months ago now, this relatively small plant (it’s maybe 18 inches across and slightly less tall) started putting out a bloom. This bloom has grown and grown to where it is now about 7 feet tall. We’ve had a few pool parties recently, and I had to settle some pool noodle fights that were getting a little too close to the bloom stalk.

This plant is called . . . wait for it . . . a Mangave. Do you get it? A Man – gave. It’s Father’s Day this Sunday, and I have a Mangave blooming in my yard. No? Just me that thinks it’s funny? That’s sort of the reaction everyone has had, but I don’t care, I think it’s hilarious for some reason.

Joking aside, this is a really cool plant. It’s a hybrid of an Agave and a Manfreda and has great qualities from both. Drought- and cold-tolerant, of course, but unlike Agave, the clump will continue to live after flowering and may even flower again. The one in my yard has produced quite a few little pups off of the main plant, so we may be able to grow a few more in some different areas. Mangaves don’t get huge, like some Agaves can, and they come in a variety of leaf shapes and patterns, some almost as thin as a noodle and some wide like the traditional kind of Agave. They come with lots of fun names, too. As of this writing, we have varieties called Racing Stripes, Red Wing, Aztec King, Bad Hair Day, Falling Waters, Man of Steel, Pineapple Express, Praying Hands, and Purple People Eater. So if you’re searching for a plant-able dad joke or just something really hardy for your landscape, look no further than Mangave.

And to all the dads out there, Happy Father’s Day! My sense of humor and my love of gardening are in no small part because of my dad. May your day be filled with great dad jokes and the eye rolls of your children. Why did nobody laugh at the gardener’s jokes? . . . Because they were too corny.