🌱 Morphology
A mini Aloe with very compact growth that forms small rosettes of approximately 5 cm in diameter, although over time it can form a much larger clump due to the abundant production of offsets. The leaves are fleshy, triangular, and dark green, with small, soft, silvery-white teeth on the margins and numerous protuberances or small light spines on both sides. The combination of the triangular leaves of Aloe descoingsii and the spiny appearance of A. haworthioides is characteristic of this hybrid.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
It is a horticultural hybrid created by John Bleck, by crossing Aloe descoingsii × Aloe haworthioides, performed in the early 1980s. Both parents are aloes from Madagascar, but 'Pepe' does not have its own natural distribution or habitat. It belongs to the Asphodelaceae family.

❄️ Temperature
USDA 10a–11b. For cultivation in Spain, we recommend keeping it above 5 ºC, especially in a pot. It can withstand occasional drops close to 0 ºC if completely dry and protected, but we do not recommend exposing it to prolonged frosts.

☀️ Lighting
During growth, 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR. It needs a lot of light to maintain compact rosettes and good formation of protuberances and white teeth. It tolerates soft direct sun, although in Madrid it should be protected from the most intense sun during the central hours of summer, especially if it is not previously acclimatized.

💧 Growth cycle
It has opportunistic behavior, although it responds particularly well to water and growth during warm periods. Water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before the next watering. In winter, greatly reduce the watering frequency, keeping the plant dry during prolonged cold periods. Its excellent ability to produce offsets allows a small rosette to quickly become a compact clump.

🌸 Flowering
Flowers appear on thin stalks up to about 30 cm, clearly protruding above the tiny rosette. They are pink-orange, reddish-orange, or yellow-orange. Flowering is poorly documented in terms of calendar and can be irregular; sources place it mainly between spring and summer.

🌿 Nutrition
During growth periods, use Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthia & Co., formulated for these small succulents and with an adequate supply of calcium and potassium. Reduce or suspend fertilization during cold periods or vegetative slowdown.

This is an inimitable xerophytic grown in Madrid in a technological square pot and with a substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.

📏 The size of our basic collection xerophytes are as follows:

S -> 9cm x 9cm

* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The photo description specifies the plant's measurements, but these may also vary slightly, because it is a living being! Each Desert CITY plant has unique characteristics.