€15,90

🌱 Morphology

Sábila or Aloe vera (Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f.), also known as true aloe. It is a perennial succulent plant, usually stemless or with a very short stem, that produces numerous offsets and can form large colonies. Its leaves, arranged in a dense rosette, are erect, thick, and lanceolate, grayish-green, reaching about 50–60 cm in length. The margins have whitish triangular teeth about 3 mm long. Young leaves may show some light spots that usually disappear with age. Its roots are fibrous and relatively superficial.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family

Its known native range is in northern Oman, especially in the foothills of the Hajar Mountains, where it grows on rocky slopes and dry land, approximately between 50 and 800 m altitude. It belongs to the family Asphodelaceae. It is currently widely cultivated and naturalized in numerous arid and warm regions of the world, including Spain.

❄️ Temperature

USDA 9b–11b. It is relatively cold tolerant for an Aloe of arid origin, but in pots we recommend keeping it above 5 °C. It can withstand occasional drops close to 0 °C if it remains completely dry and protected, but cold accompanied by humidity greatly increases the risk of damage and rot.

☀️ Lighting

During growth, 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ DLI PAR. It needs a lot of light to develop compact, thick, and well-erect leaves. It tolerates full sun after progressive acclimatization, although in Madrid it is advisable to protect it from the most intense sun in July and August when it coincides with extreme temperatures, especially for small specimens.

💧 Growth cycle

Opportunistic, although with a marked slowdown during periods of intense heat and drought. In Madrid, it can maintain growth for much of the year if it has moderate temperatures, water, and sufficient light. Water abundantly and let the substrate dry completely before the next watering. During cold winter and heat waves, space out waterings considerably.

🌸 Flowering

The inflorescence can reach 1–1.4 m in height and usually branches into 2–3 branches, each with a rather dense cylindrical raceme. The flowers are tubular and yellow, although occasionally they may have reddish tones. In northern Oman, flowering is recorded mainly between September and November. In Madrid, as a cultivation reference, it can be expected approximately between October and December, although very sunny and adult plants can shift or repeat flowering.

🌿 Nutrition

Fertilize during growth periods with Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthia & Co., especially suitable for its calcium and potassium contribution. Reduce or suspend fertilization during cold winter and during phases of strong slowdown due to heat.

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

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