Cv. Maldonado is a short-lived perennial or biennial with trailing stems. It behaves similarly to Verano in that 20-40% of the plants may carry over to a second year, others regenerating from seed.

It is grown in the monsoonal region with 1300 mm of rainfall in a strong wet season. Maldonado has good tolerance of waterlogging and flooding on solodic soils and yellow earths, but does not like the heavier cracking clays of the floodplain.

In the Northern Territory, flowering starts in late April and continues into the dry season while moisture lasts.

Maldonado is palatable and can be planted to produce high quality hay, as a ley to restore soil fertility after cropping or in mixed pasture systems.