Saw a nice aloe garden recently in So Cal with a bunch of these Madagascan tree aloes planted in it. Plants are very attractive with exc...Read Moreeptionally long, drooping leaves, and though none were trees yet, they were striking plants. As seedlings, they are relatively easy to tell apart from other species- look like octopi... but as plants mature can be a bit difficult to tell from some of the other long-leaved South AFrican aloes when not in flower (like Aloe alooides, A angelica, A thraskii etc.). However, this one has a unique way of dragging its leaves along the ground as though it were some floating octopus-like sci fi alien... leaves outstretch barely curling as they hit the ground.
Like many Madagascan aloes, this species tends to be quite colorful under stress (winter conditions) showing a lot of maroon in its leaves. This plant is from southern Madagascar. Though rare in cultivation, recently these plants have become much more available.
Flowers are deep red and very small on a multibranched inflorescence that points its short pedicles in all directions. Flowers are pressed flat along the peduncles and closely spaced making each raceme look a bit like a rocket. Flowers turn from red to yellow briefly as they open, but then the quickly curl back their petals and die, leaving only 1-3 yellow flowers at a time. Flowers open from the base toward the tip as in most (but not all) aloes.
Saw a nice aloe garden recently in So Cal with a bunch of these Madagascan tree aloes planted in it. Plants are very attractive with exc...Read More