Similars with blue leaves and red teeth (hybrids)

[Spination]

You know that there's a type that strikes your fancy... when you look around and see several different hybrids acquired that "happen" to look much the same...

It's winter, and kept out of direct sun since I got it - but it was very blue at first

2017 12 22 Aloe cactusbylin a.jpg (83.26 KiB) Viewed 3502 times

Same with this one. More and stronger light starting in spring, and it will turn blue again...

2017 12 22 Aloe hybrid Kyle a.jpg (102.08 KiB) Viewed 3502 times

2017 12 22 Aloe Dracula's Blood a.jpg (100.11 KiB) Viewed 3502 times

2017 12 22 Aloe Dental Work .jpg (122.31 KiB) Viewed 3502 times

This one just refuses to give up it's blue no matter what

2017 12 22 Aloe Walnut Hill HH.jpg (93.71 KiB) Viewed 3502 times

[Azuleja]

It didn't escape me that you've collected a bunch of that type, lol. There are so many different versions, it makes me think it could be a common outcome of various crosses.

[Spination]

The good news is that I shouldn't need any more of those. Plenty to work with among them, both crossing to each other when the opportunities arise, and also to cross with other things I like in the hopes I can achieve new variants.

[Marlon Machado]

You missed 'Sunset in your list again, the same pattern. Another one is 'Kelly's Blue', and KG-14 has the red/blue combination too. These are all highly influenced by Aloe divaricata, a blue leaves/red spines species that Kelly Griffin used a lot in his early hybrids to introduce the red color in the table-top hybrids - up to then, the hybrids featured only shades of green and white in various combinations. I asked on a fb group how did the hybrids got the ridges on the leaves, and Kelly was kind enough to explain that the ridges arose from crossing a plant with bumpy leaves like A. parvula and A. haworthioides with a special clone of A. divaricata that have cojoined or merged teeth. Aridlands sell a special clone of A. divaricata that if not the same, must be similar to the one Kelly used, because the Aridlands clone has cojoined teeth. It is a gorgeous plant.

[Spination]

Marlon, thanks for sharing the KG breeding info, which I had not seen previously. Although 'Sunset' and 'Kelly's Blue' (one of my favorites) are both quite nice, I didn't include them in this group as I consider them somewhat different. 'Sunset' is conspicuously tree-like (mine is over a foot tall now), and 'Kelly's Blue' very heavily textured.

Also, thanks very much also for mentioning AL's A. divaricata special clone - I went straight to their online catalog and just ordered one. Funny, I had been wanting one for a long time. I didn't know that KG used it in his breeding, but I was very much aware of KZ's use of it, especially in creating her lovely 'Dragon' (well, and 'Princess Jack')... not to mention subsequent creation of the fantastic 'Marsha Layhew' using 'Dragon' as a parent.
The AL stock photo really well illustrates how 'Dragon' achieved it's overall form.

[Marlon Machado]

You are welcome Tom. I am quite happy with the special clone of A. divaricata I got from AL. It is one of my favorite plants, and I look forward to it flowering so that I can use it in crosses

'Sean's Red' is another plant with blue leaves and red edges. The site succulent gardening has it for sale.

[Marlon Machado]

Ah, and yes, 'Marsha Layhew' is a marvelous plant and on top of my wishlist

[Spination]

Marlon, here's the special clone of A. divaricata from A.L. The pic is directly after potting out of the box after shipping - looks pretty good, but I'm sure will look even better in time.

2017 12 30 Aloe divaricata b.jpg (49.77 KiB) Viewed 3424 times

[Spination]

And to compare with A. divaricata, here's the latest look of my remaining Aloe 'Sunset'. I had two originally, but found them hard to keep alive and looking good. One died, and the other went into protection since cold (frost) is what did the other in. My experience is that it does not handle cold, nor does it do well out in full sun - so does seem to be a bit tricky to keep. It does have a tree-like habit, but the stem is somewhat delicate compared to the top-heavy stack of leaves. The bamboo stake stuck in there for the last year has allowed the stem to become more solid over that period of time, and hopefully that will continue.

2018 01 01 Aloe Sunset a.jpg (94.9 KiB) Viewed 3420 times

2018 01 01 Aloe Sunset b.jpg (95.49 KiB) Viewed 3420 times

[Marlon Machado]

Hello Tom,

Below are some pictures of my plant of the special divaricata clone from Aridlands. The plant got bluer and the spines redder since I acquired it.

Aloe divaricata special clone from Aridlands

SAM_7969.JPG (56.32 KiB) Viewed 3402 times

Here you can see the molar-like teeth that makes this clone special

Aloe divaricata special clone from Aridlands

SAM_7970.JPG (69.62 KiB) Viewed 3402 times

This is a new offset from the plant, in the offset the teeth are cojoined forming a continuous edge near the base of some leaves. I guess this is one of the ancestors of all hybrids with raised ridges, per the explanation from Kelly Griffin.

Aloe divaricata special clone from Aridlands

SAM_7968.JPG (65.24 KiB) Viewed 3402 times

And below is my plant of 'Sunset'. It is over one foot tall, top-heavy, and I had to stake it as well. In spite of this, I quite like the shape, color and marginal teeth on this one. Plus the large size. I am planning on beheading this plant, leaving enough leaves in the stem in the hopes that it will offset from the base.

Aloe 'Sunset' KG

SAM_7975.JPG (128.2 KiB) Viewed 3402 times

[Stone Jaguar]

Beautiful plant, Marlon. Quite compelling when grown as well as you have done here. Until one sees the teeth it is difficult to picture this sp. as an ancestor of the tabletop eccentrics, although ‘Gargoyle’ seems to have inherited the stacked stem.

[Spination]

Marlon, I'll join in seconding Jay's comment. Both your special clone of divaricata and A. 'Sunset' are fantastic specimens, a tribute to your care and growing skills (not to mention your tropical climate ). Anyway, very inspiring to think that it's possible anyway in theory for mine to end up like yours some day.

Very interesting as well how your offset of divaricata features the cojoined teeth - looks terrific.

Again, awesome plants!

[reality_velo]

This plant, labeled Aloe 'Confused' when purchased has similar blue green leaves and red conjoined teeth. Not exactly sure accurate the name is. I need to repot and separate the pups once it warms up a bit. Or maybe leave it, its a bit weird looking.

[Spination]

That's a really nice looking assembly right now. I can see the dilemma - leave it as a very nice looking cluster, or harvest the pups for trade or whatever leaving an also interesting tree-like but barren looking rosette behind?
It's a nice problem to have. Any idea how old it is - how many years went into growing that stem? I'm guessing from the length of the stem, and other hybrids I've been growing that slowly develop stem like that - we're talking some 10 years?

[reality_velo]

That's exactly my predicament. If I repot and separate, it would look a bit strange with a tall bare stem. The pups that surround the stem make it look a bit better on the eyes IMO. I might just bump it up to a nice larger pot for the long run and leave the pups.
I believe the plant is quite old as well, but i'm not sure the age. I bought it from Grigsby's about a year ago and believe it had been there for quite a while, like you said, probably 10 years or so.
It produces seed quite easy, I've had it outside since I bought it so the humming birds can enjoy the flowers. I sowed some seeds as well, they are maybe 1" tall now and beginning to show some cool markings.

If you want some seeds, let me know I have some left!

[Spination]

I've had that predicament myself. What I have done was a compromise, where I'll harvest one or two if they are quite crowded together. On the one hand, more room for the ones left behind to spread out and continue to fill out the bare space below the mother rosette, and the other benefit is the starting up of a whole new other plant or two.

Regarding the seed - sure, I'd be happy to have some. I've got so many things going now, but I'm happy to add another! I'm at the point now that as soon as one container's bounty gets slightly large enough, I'm moving them out into one of the greenhouse kits to clear valuable space on the seedling heat mats. Currently, I have more than 20 different crosses which have germinated but are not large enough to remove from the mats. Apart from that, previous crosses which were big enough to give their own individual small pots now number in the hundreds. Nothing at all like a professional nursery operation, but not too bad for a small-time hobbyist.
There's also new seed pods constantly being generated, some from plants and crosses I'm very much looking forward to germinating, and of course hoping they do.

[Marlon Machado]

Very nice specimen of A. 'Confused' Kellen! It must be quite old as well. I love its looks the way it is

Any chances of some of this seeds finding its way to Brazil?

Thanks Tom and Jay for the cumpliments on my plants, much appreciated!

[Woodlily74]

Hummingbird seedling Walnut Hill.

[Woodlily74]

Unknown parentage from Kyle Williams / Ebay. May have A. diva. ? Gets darker purple / brown.

[Woodlily74]

Seedling Christmas Carol x Doran Black. Mature leaves have more blue color.

[Spination]

All nice. That last one - 'Christmas Carol' X 'Doran Black' is completely inexplicable, since it features none of the characteristics of either parent other than the red marginals of CC... sure that ID is right?
It's hard for me to imagine crossing these two, and losing the tight rosette in favor of longer leaved open rosette. Looks like it got short-changed too in the texture department...

2017 05 11 Aloe Doran Black b.jpg (83.17 KiB) Viewed 3339 times

2015 08 03 Aloe Christmas Carol b.JPG (83.67 KiB) Viewed 3339 times

Love that treasure you got from Walnut Hill - exceptional!

[Woodlily74]

2017 From Corona Cactus DragonFire out of Dragon x Coral Fire.

Cv. Dragon Fire 2017 Corona Cactus

IMG_20180105_162115.jpg (98.75 KiB) Viewed 3336 times

[Woodlily74]

Yes Tom, CC x DB is correct. It gets red and white markings on the leaves. They appear first on the bottom of the leaves then on the top. I do have a sibling, let me look for it and I post photos.

[Spination]

Maybe the partial photo is misleading. It looks like it has longer, and comparatively thinner (less wide I mean) leaves rather than short, triangular leaves of both parents...and generated from the stem differently as well, rather than tightly stacked on the rosette.

By the way, it appears you have a pretty good sized collection of very nice plants based on all the photos you've posted.

[Woodlily74]

Tom, Thanks for the kind words. Seeing your plants and seedlings inspired me to try collecting and making crosses. I have enough table tops now we're there is nearly always something in bloom. I'minking these CC x DB sib reveal some of the parents and grandparents as well as Great Grandparents in CC and DB.