€10,60

🌱 Morphology
Generally solitary Aloe, although it can form small groups. It can be practically stemless or, with age, develop a short, erect stem up to 1 m long. It forms dense rosettes of lanceolate leaves, thick and somewhat curved inwards during drought. The leaves are matte green, grayish-green or reddish, with numerous longitudinal lines that give them a very characteristic striped appearance; young plants also usually have white spots. The margins are armed with rigid, reddish or reddish-brown triangular teeth.

🌍 Distribution, habitat, and family
Species of the family Asphodelaceae, native to southern Namibia and the Northern Cape of South Africa, following the Gariep or Orange River valley. It lives at an altitude of about 150 to 800 m, mainly in rock crevices, very stony slopes, and small sandy deposits. It is part of the vegetation of Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo, in one of the most arid regions of southern Africa. It is listed as Least Concern (LC).

❄️ Temperature
USDA 9b–11. It is a fairly cold-hardy species for an Aloe. It can withstand occasional temperatures close to -2/-3 °C if completely dry and protected from humidity, but we do not recommend making this occasional tolerance a regular growing temperature.

☀️ Lighting
During growth, 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ of DLI PAR. It needs a lot of light and tolerates full sun once acclimated. Intense lighting promotes its compact habit and its characteristic reddish tones. In Madrid, it is advisable to protect it from reflected sun or extreme heat from surfaces during summer afternoons.

💧 Growth cycle
Opportunistic, with a marked adaptation to drought. It does not have a rigid annual dormancy: it can remain practically dormant during long dry periods and resume growth when conditions become favorable again. During the active season: water abundantly and let the substrate dry completely before the next watering. During prolonged periods of drought, the rosette may close significantly and acquire an intense reddish coloration as a protective mechanism.

🌸 Flowering
It produces a spectacular simple and erect inflorescence, usually 80–120 cm, with a narrow and densely populated cluster. The flowers are usually yellow or greenish-yellow, although there are forms whose buds are red-orange and, when open, show a striking red and yellow contrast. In Madrid, it flowers approximately between January and March, although the calendar may vary depending on growing conditions.

🌿 Nutrition
Fertilize during active growth periods with Desert CHOICE® Aloes, Haworthia & Co., especially indicated for Aloe and other succulents, with particular importance of calcium and potassium. Reduce or suspend fertilization during periods of slowdown and drought.

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

📏 The sizes 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 plant's measurements are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly, because it is a living being! Each of Desert CITY's plants has unique characteristics.

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