Aloe elegans | Ethiopian Aloe
€37,10
🌱 Morphology
Medium-sized aloe, generally solitary and stemless, although with age it can develop a short stem and occasionally produce small clumps. It forms open rosettes up to about 60 cm in diameter, with fleshy, lanceolate leaves, usually curved inwards, grey-green to blue-green in color. The margins have short, sharp, reddish-brown teeth, which become more intense when the plant experiences drought. Young leaves may have small whitish spots that usually disappear upon maturity. The inflorescence can reach approximately 1 m and have up to 8 branches.
🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Species of the family Asphodelaceae, native to Eritrea and Ethiopia, with POWO provisionally extending its distribution to western Sudan. It grows between 1,500 and 2,400 m on rocky slopes, mainly sandstone or limestone, in evergreen scrub and wooded grasslands. It is a characteristic species of the Northeast African highlands.
❄️ Temperature
USDA 9b–11. It is one of the relatively cold-hardy African mountain aloes. For pot cultivation in Madrid, we recommend keeping it above 5 °C; it can occasionally tolerate temperatures close to -3/-4 °C if completely dry and protected, but we do not recommend exposing it to repeated frosts or cold, wet conditions.
☀️ Lighting
During growth, 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR. It tolerates full sun and needs intense light to maintain a compact rosette and an attractive blue-grey coloration. In Madrid, it should be progressively acclimatized to direct sun after winter.
💧 Growth cycle
Opportunistic, with growth mainly during periods of moderate temperatures and water availability. In its habitat, it may experience a dry season, but it does not have a rigid and universal dormant period. In cultivation: water abundantly and allow the substrate to dry completely before the next watering. Reduce watering during cold periods and during episodes of extreme heat.
🌸 Flowering
This is one of the most attractive characteristics of the species. It produces branched inflorescences with dense clusters, ranging from almost capitate to cylindrical. The flowers can be yellow, orange or scarlet, with populations showing very marked color differences. In the northern hemisphere, cultivated in Madrid, the main flowering can be expected approximately between November and February, depending on temperatures.
🌿 Nutrition
Fertilize during periods of active growth with Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthia & Co., especially indicated for Aloe and other succulents, with particular emphasis on calcium and potassium. Reduce or suspend fertilization during periods of slowdown.
This is an inimitable xerophytic plant cultivated in Madrid in a technological square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
13x13 pot
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