Everything's coming up Aloes!

I went out on the hillside today just to see how things are doing. I've had a bad cold, so I wasn't outside for the last two weeks. Here in SoCal we've had early rains that didn't come as one single downpour--they were spread out over many weeks. Consequently, the ground has been able to soak up the moisture.

Anyway, I've got so many different types of Aloes with spikes started--it's incredible. Some are first time bloomers, some haven't bloomed for a number of seasons, and then some are the old reliables. I'm going to be taking pics over the next month and posting them.

Here's an idea of what is going on:

I have an Aloe vaombe that hasn't bloomed for the last three years. Four years ago, it had one spike. This year it's got three spikes!

I have an Aloe excelsa with a deep lacquer red bloom. It has only bloomed once before and then with only two bloom spikes. This year, it looks like it is going to have a huge group of bloom spikes. Aloe brandraaiensis has a big candelabra spike on it and the plant looks better than it ever has. Aloe castanae looks like it may have a number of spikes this year. I've got some little tiny ones that I've never seen bloom before and a whole lot of unnamed ones that maybe I can figure out what they are. The old reliables like A. ferox, A. spectabilis, A. marlotthi, A. vanbalenii, A. thraskii, and some others that I can't think of right now are going to be spectacular.

Boy what a great season!

-Ron-

you're making me very jealous. They sound gorgeous.. we got some rain this way but I haven't seen any of the aloes (I have a couple) doing anything yet, will go inspect them closer. You are so fortunate, I have seen some of your photos and they are fantastic. Will look forward to seeing your photos.


edited for spelling

This message was edited Dec 11, 2004 2:43 PM

Mine are all doing the same thing. I can't wait to get to the Huntington Gardens and see what our collection is doing. January will be the best month. Found a new walk in cactus center, called the HOUSE OF CACTUS which is located in So. calif. 10580 Beach Blvd, Stanton, Calif. 90680

So when you are visiting you may want to stop in there as check them out.

I was there to day, and got a Kalanchoe variety that has long been dead in my greenhouse.
Two Euphorbia obessa, I already have five, but want to add to my gene pool. Seed going to the CSSA seed bank. Which you can order from if you are a CSSA member, and a few little Crassula, and two Sansevieria, I'm a happy camper. Norma

Oh Wow! I can't wait to see pictures!

Me, too! You must be thrilled! Congrats!

I wanta see, I wanta see!!! Bring on the pictures!!! :)))))))))

OK, here's the first one. This is Aloe microstigma and the bloom spike on it is about two feet tall. This one blooms every year about this time. The individual blossoms will open slowly from the bottom to the top over a few weeks span.

-Ron-

What a beautiful picture . Thank-You for sharing it with us. Any more? :)))))

This one is hard to see because it is in an inaccessible place and it is a small vine-like aloe.

This is Aloe tenuior. The blooms haven't opened completely yet.

-Ron-

This is Aloe commixta. It is another vining aloe with yellow blooms.

-Ron-

This aloe actually bloomed a couple of months ago, but I threw it in here because I don't know what it is. (Actually, I think it is Aloe reitzii)

-Ron-

This message was edited Jan 29, 2005 1:00 AM

OK, now I've got a couple of aloes and I don't know what species. Here's one.

-Ron-

This one is bright clear yellow outlined with green and it has bright yellow spines on the leaves.

-Ron-

Last one for today. This is a tiny one--Aloe juvenna, and I've never seen it bloom. I have it planted a number of places around.

-Ron-

WOW!

OK, this one is a pretty good size plant. Personally, I think it is a hybrid. As you can see, it has two spikes on it. The blooms will open from the bottom up.

Some experts feel that Aloe marlotthi, Aloe ferox, and Aloe spectabilis are a large complex of the same plant. In general Aloe marlotthi has the spineiest leaves and Aloe ferox, the least--with Aloe spectabilis somewhere in between. This plant to me looks like some combination in between. I have all three of the others and they are in various stages of setting spikes, so you'll see them sometime in the next month or so. The Aloe marlotthi probably won't have a bloom spike until February, but it is about 6 or 7 feet tall with a good size trunk.

-Ron-

Wow, you certainly have quite a collection!

Oh my, your columnar cactus are beautiful.. I am trying to landscape a little around here and have a few of those in pots right now that will definitely go in this april. Do you ever have problems with gophers? They have eaten some of my Agaves and Aloes, at first I thought they were rotting, but when I checked, the whole root was gone on all of them.

All your photos are great.. this is the type of landscape that i want for our home.

Wow...those are beautiful pictures of an incredible collection of plants. This is my first visit to this forum and I will definitely be back often in the future to see more of your pictures.

Sandy

Welcome aboard DG, nightowl2!

Ok, here is a bush Aloe. I don't recall the species name offhand, but I have about four good size bushes of these around the yard. Here I have some surrounding a Ficus auriculatus.

-Ron-

This is Aloe ciliaris. I had this plant originally in a pot on the balcony, but it got way too large. I split it in two and planted one here and another further up the hill.

This is a vining aloe and can get to be a very, very large clump.

-Ron-

Rwhiz, you have some pretty plants. do you remember were you got them from? your first one i would like to plant in my yard.the second one, the ciliaris?? I would put on my patio in the spring. Thanks for sharing. Binky :))))

Those are terrific, and nicely landscaped. They are as good as the Huntington Gardens, I like your use of rocks, so you say these are on a hill, most of them grow that way, and not flat. Keep the pictures coming. There is one that looks like one of mine, if I can find the label I send the name on to you. Norma

Ron,
Very beautiful stuff !!!!

Don't know how I missed this thread. . . but sure have it on watch list now. . .great collection of aloes. . .looking forward to more pics. Thanks for sharing Ron. ;-D Janet

I am totally in awe! What a wonderful collection!!!

Ok, so now I'm drooling, I mean really drooling over here, lol lol, Great collections you have there, mighty fine, Annie

This is an Aloe ferox. It is about 5-1/2 feet tall. It blooms regularly at this time every year. The blooms will start to open from the bottom on up. I don't know if you can tell, but some of the spikes end with 3 or 4 terminations. This particular plant does this every year. Most A. ferox have a brighter brick red/burnt orange color. This one will brighten up a little more, but is still kind of drab compared to most. I'm going to post a pic of another plant.

-Ron-

This Aloe ferox is just about the same size as the previous plant. Notice the difference. This was a particularly nice blooming later in the season from a few years ago. The previous Aloe ferox image was taken today.

-Ron-

Very nice pictures. Thank-you for sharing.

Alright now I have to pick-up my jaw off the floor!!!!!!!! And all I can say is WOW oh WOW, any more picks to show us???? A Warm and Fuzzy Holiday Season to All, Annie

Ron. . .that is absolutely breath-taking. . .BTW where is Spring Valley and how much acreage do you have?. . . judging from your pics and the size of those aloes and surrounding foliage, looks to be a large spread. Looks as good or better than many aloe displays I've seen in public gardens. Great job. . .you're pics are great. . .are you entering them in the PDB? ;-D Janet

Hi Janet,

Spring Valley is due east of downtown San Diego. I live on a very steep hillside. Actually the property is not that large, but it does consist (for the moment) of three other lots beside the one the house is built on. We are on a cul-de-sac and most of the flat part is along the cul-de-sac, but except for that, virtually the rest of the yard is very steep and rocky. Because of the climate, the steepness, the rockiness, most of the plants are succulents because they grow easier in this environment and they are easier to maintain. I've softened things up with tropicals and semi-tropicals though (calliandras and some tropical flowering trees). There is a big chunk of the yard that is just eucalyptus also, but I leave that part to the dogs. Despite the steepness, it is fenced in for the sake of the dogs (for the sake of the neighbors). Two Bullmastiff sisters. I'm also in the process of trying to get major parts of the chain link fence covered in vines (passion vines and others).

-Ron-

Would you be interested in some Rose of Sharon and Sunflower/Blacy-Eyed Susan seeds? The Rose of Sharon always look nice along a fence, and I've got tons I can send you.

If you are interested, send me your address via e-mail and I will get them off to you in the next day or so!

Ron. . .Thanks for the info on Spring Valley. . .had heard of it, but wasn't sure where it was. . .the pics looked like alot of the area around San Diego, down toward Carlsbad, Vista, etc. as I remember it looking. Sounds like you've got some good 'guards' to keep an eye on things too!! Your 'work in progress' is off to a great start. The 'easy maintenance' part sounds good, especially since you have the steep terrain to deal with. . .no fun having to spend alot of time on the side of a hill to do gardening. MIL's home in Granada Hills has steep hill in back yard and it's a killer to work on. ;-D Janet

Hi Ron we live right next door to each other so our climate is the same, we too are amazed with our aloes, the flower spikes loads of them, have never seen this happen before...this weather has certainly done something worthwhile...incredible..
Your collection is so amazing, in fact you have given me so much to drool over that I cannot wait to start collecting more...
I love especially the Aloe Ferox...is the orange as spectacular as it appears on your pictures ?
It is such a pleasure to see your photos...
a wonderful collection...
Also cannot locate right now but my San Diego Home and Garden Mag.[Nov issue] had a lovely [private] collection of aloes in it..

Take this tour of an Aloe lover's garden--absolutely spectacular!

http://www.sdcss.com/pics_aloe1/aloe1.html



-Ron-

How incredible! Aside from the few photos with people, fences, or buildings, it was almost like visiting another planet!

Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for "the trip"!

Oh WOW Ron, thanks so much for that link! I'm now convinced that Dr Seuss must have been an aloe lover too! :-) Such a wonderful tour! There are so many "WOW!!!!" and gasp-inducing pics there, but the most out-of-this-world gorgeous knock-me-out one of all has got to be #10 http://www.sdcss.com/pics_aloe1/aloe10.html . #s 17, 18 and 21 come pretty close though! Wow oh Wow! I WANT...no, make that, I NEED that one in pic #10! WOW again!

-Julie