Aloes

Aloes are succulents of the Old World and generally grow in regions that have a climate very different from that of the UK.  One or two species have shown themselves to be remarkably adaptable and grow well in many areas, and there are many others that may indeed also prove to grow well that are as yet untested.  This link will take you to a list of possibles, below is a selection.

This is a large, many headed shrub or even small tree (= arborescens) that is one of the most widespread of all aloes in it's native South Africa.  The flowers are the usual dense poker of bright red tubes, but there are some yellow flowered forms - and also some very glaucous blue forms - in cultivation.  There is potential for this plant in cooler climates.  It shows resistance to frost - certainly down to perhaps -4/5°c maybe lower.  It also has the ability to regenerate from below ground if cut back by colder temperatures.  The temperature that eventually kills it is not known to me but there are established colonies of it on St Michaels Mnt in Cornwall and on Tresco.  These plants would have survived the occasional low temperatures that occur there - down to -10°C in very rare years, so it is conceivable that it is a long term proposition further east and north.  Time will tell. I have plants raised from seed collected at the highest altitude in it's natural range, if that makes any difference. (1999) 

A cute little fella, this one.  Individually the rosettes are maybe 15cm across comprising of stubby dark green leaves studded with raised white soft warty spines and with a terminal elongated tip (= aristata).  When dry the rosettes curve inwards on themselves, when moist they expand and puff themselves out.  They also offset like crazy and soon form a colony of plants.  Larger plants will flower regularly in this country, throwing up a branched or simple candelabra of coral tubular bells.  These little aloes are one of the hardiest in the family and will tolerate a good deal of frost if in well drained soil; perhaps -8°C or lower without a problem.  Their survival chances are increased if they are grown at an angle or even vertically in a crevice, so that water cannot accumulate inside the rosette.  They will also tolerate a reasonable amount of shade. (1999)

This is another lovely little aloe that grows in a similar fashion to A. aristata.  Small rosettes around 10cm across that cluster into colonies, but they have gorgeous powdery blue-green very fat fleshy leaves with fewer, white, hornier spines.  They will produce a cone shaped unbranched poker of bright red flowers, but I have never seen one flower as yet.  I don't know what their hardiness is like, but know they will tolerate some frost.  There are colonies of this aloe growing on St Michaels Mnt and on Tresco so it may be worth trying elsewhere. (1999)

This eventually forms a muscularly impressive rosette around 1m or more in diameter, sometimes a short trunk and rarely offsetting.  It has olive-green leaves with toothed margins; as a young plant these teeth are much more evident and may lead you to suppose it is a different plant.  From pictures the flowers are produced on a strange, thick, rat tail-type raceme, individually hidden by papery bracts but with protruding orange-red stamens.  Anyway, it comes from quite high altitude and should prove to be quite hardy to cold and would definitely complement the other dry garden denizens. (1999)

A climbing aloe, that struggles it's way through nearby shrubs or just forms a straggly shrub if there is no suitable host.  Stems can reach 6m long in the wild, losing the leaves along most of the stem and looking pretty untidy as a result, in cultivation with more water it is a much more attractive plant.  The leaves themselves are dark green with white, marginal, hair-like thorns (= ciliaris) that are especially noticeable in the leaf sheaths.  The leaf sheaths are conspicuously striped green and white.  The inflorescence is very attractive and large for the size of the plant, and is an unbranched raceme of bright orange/red flowers.  This plant grows well on St Michaels Mnt and Tresco, and may well prove fairly hardy to cold elsewhere. (1999) 

This is one of a race of aloes called Grass Aloes - they are deciduous in winter and have enormous potential for growing in cold areas.  This one has narrow leaves that have small white teeth along the margins and white warts along the leaf bases. From pictures the flowers are produced in a tall unbranched raceme and are typically salmon coloured.  Not yet in cultivation in the UK - I have seedlings coming along - should be interesting. (2000)

Another grass aloe and much more impressive than A.cooperi, with very broad leaves reminiscent of an agave with prominent white teeth along the margins and pictures show a densely packed flower spike of yellow or red flowers.  There is another similar plant Aloe boylei.  Again neither are as yet in cultivation but should prove to be worth growing. (2000)

This is one of the more familiar aloes and is a conspicuous feature of the South African landscape.  Large solitary grey-green rosettes on trunks up to 2m or more, the fat succulent leaves are liberally peppered with dark brown spines (=ferox), especially on the lower surface and margins.  Flowers are equally impressive, being branched into 6 or more very densely clustered pokers of, usually, scarlet flowers.  Superficially the plant is very similar to Aloe marlothii  which is also seen in cultivation over here.  Aloe ferox will tolerate a small amount of frost, and because of it's wide distribution in the wild it is possible that some of the northern or high altitude forms will be quite hardy.  It is certainly worth trying planted out in sheltered London or southwest gardens in a very dry, sunny spot - otherwise grown in a pot and kept on the patio in summer  where it's plumptiously exotic appearance makes it a must-have.   (1999)

One of several dozen aloes that form attractively speckled or marbled rosettes, this one has quite large rosettes of glaucous grey-green leaves marked on the upper surface with white H shaped bands and with marginal red-brown teeth.  Pictures show the flowers to be produced on a branched loosely constructed set of pokers in yellow through to red.  Interestingly, this has been given a z8 hardiness rating so should be worth trying.  Not widely in cultivation but I'm working on it.  (2000)

Smaller than the preceding species, this is another speckled rosette former that offsets into small colonies, fresher green with white spots.  Flowers described as a branched inflorescence of uniquely club-shaped red flowers.  Also given a z8 hardiness rating.  Also not widely in cultivation but maybe soon.  (2000)

Another one.  Fairly chunky, markings are more banded than spotted, flowers are dull pinky red, z8, seedlings coming on.  (2000)

Now this is a cute little chap along the lines of Aloe aristata.  The leaves are very grey-green in colour, quite narrow and densely covered on both upper and lower leaf surfaces in tough white warts.  Individual rosettes are maybe 10cm across but it soon offsets and forms a dense colony.  Flowers are similar to A. aristata, hardiness not widely tested but maybe worth a go - z8.   (1999)

This one is very promising.  Stemless rosettes of green leaves speckled liberally with white with brown spines on the margins, this offsets into small colonies.  The flowers are produce in a flat topped raceme from a sometimes branched stem, open flowers have an elongated stalk, colour is variable either red, orange or yellow.  Again, this one is seen on St Michaels Mount and Tresco, and is also mentioned occasionally in other literature as being fairly hardy.  Given a z8 rating, so without doubt worth trying. (1999)

A big fat succulent plant, huge solitary rosettes of grey-green leaves with sharp brown spines on all surfaces especially underneath and on leaf margins. eventually growing a trunk to 4m.  Flowers are densely packed pokers of red and yellow held on branched stems at an almost horizontal angle.  There is a form that has a more upright inflorescence that grows in the colder KwaZulu-Natal region that is sometimes encountered in the name Aloe spectabilis and if seen that should be the one purchased as it is likely to be hardier.  Similar to Aloe ferox, possibly a touch hardier to cold and worth trying in mild gardens.  (2000)

Very commonly encountered, many people grow this without putting a name to it.  A variable plant in appearance, typically stubby fresh green triangular leaves with white spines on the edges and underside, it grows into a lanky, lollopy stem and offsets like mad.  It is similar to another species, A. distans, and is sometimes labelled as such but this is very rarely seen in cultivation and has bluer, sparser leaves.  When the flowers come they are on a branched  stem of dome or cone shaped raceme of red tubes.  Again, occasionally found in Cornwall growing outside, worth trying elsewhere. (1999) 

This forms densely packed rosettes of grey-green leaves that are distinctly strongly recurved almost into a sphere.  There are white teeth near the leaf tips on all surfaces which continue down the leaves mainly on the margins.  When it flowers, it produces an extremely densely packed poker of scarlet tubular flowers that sticks out just beyond the leaves.  May be worth trying.

This is one of the most beautiful plants in the world, but sadly facing extinction in the wild due mainly to habitat destruction.  It grows into rosettes around 60cm across and the grey-green leaves have a lop-sided keel on them that results in the leaves laying to one side and arranging themselves into a perfect spiral, which can be left or right handed.  It comes from very high altitude in the small country of Lesotho that is hidden away in the Drakensberg mountains where it is exposed to frost, snow, high rainfall and all those sorts of encouraging elements that indicate it may be suitable to grow in the UK.  It doesn't like being too hot, doesn't like being too wet, doesn't like drying out and is generally very difficult to keep, but any attempts are worth the effort.  It occasionally surfaces for sale so keep your eyes peeled.  (2000)

A clump forming aloe that has strongly recurved, heavily spined, grey-green  leaves that grow into dense rosettes around 30cm across and a strange flower stem that is clothed in papery bracts.  It is another high altitude plant which experiences fairly high rainfall and, given it's z7 hardiness rating, every effort should be made to try and find one.  Not widely seen in cultivation but as ever, I am working on it.  (2000)

If only......this forms a single, large, stemless rosette of olive green leaves with marginal brown teeth, maybe 1m across, and produces a spectacular branched candelabra of bright scarlet fading to yellow, densely flowered pokers.  I suppose the overall effect is reminiscent of an agave but unmistakably an aloe, if that makes any sense, but it is given a z7 hardiness and so is definitely one to look out for.  I, and one or two others, have raised a very small number of plants from seed, but it will be a while before they are large enough for the hardiness can be tested properly (2000)

This is a plant that should be in every exotic garden, as it is the hardiest of the aloes and probably one of the hardier exotics in general.  It grows into a leggy, many headed shrub with rosettes of dark green leaves edged with white marginal teeth held on the terminal portions of the stems.  The stem sheaths are distinctly striped white and green (= striatula).  The plants generally flower their socks off, producing dense, unbranched pokers of yellow tubular flowers with orange and green accents.  It grows fairly quickly and if not cut back by frost will need some assistance with the secateurs to keep looking good.  The top growth seems hardy to around -8°C or lower, and it has been recorded as coming back from below ground when cut down by a low temperature of -18°C, which is lower than a lot of so-called hardy plants will tolerate. (1999)

Another grass aloe, but this seems to be less inclined to lose it's leaves than the others - at least as the small plants I have seen.  It ha long, fairly succulent, dark green leaves heavily spotted on the leaf bases with raised white warts.  When it flowers it will be with a small domed raceme of comparatively large red tubes.  This should prove relatively cold hardy as it is given a z8 rating. (1999)

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