Forum rules
This section is dedicated toward maintaining one active thread for each Aloaceae species/subspecies/variety/cultivar. Please feel free to add information and/or photos to existing threads or start your own by adding Genus/species as the thread subject. Note that listings are displayed alphabetically. Enjoy!
Aloe aristata CCSC.JPG (155.81 KiB) Viewed 8315 times
Aloe aristata huge.jpg (139.66 KiB) Viewed 8315 times
This is a stemless, smaller, South African species with amazing cold hardiness (down to nearly 20F). It grows in the higher elevations where it often gets snowed on. However, it is a relatively delicate looking plant, and is prone to rot when overwatered, particularly in hot summers (which it detests anyway)... but its cold hardiness is amazing when you look at how wimpy an aloe it appears. It has numerous tiny speckles on the leaves and very closely spaced, tiny, comb-like teeth along the leaf margins (important characteristic to tell this plant from a common Gasteraloe often misidentified as this) and characteristic white 'hair-like' structure at the tip of each leaf (another identification key to tell this one from impostors). When exposed to drought and heat, tends to curl up into a ball. It is not a species that enjoys full sun, particularly if hot (often will kill it). Flowers on single so minimally branched inflorescences and are reddish-orange to pale pink-orange with pale yellow bellies as they age. Flowering times are variable with some flowering in spring and some in summers. I find this a difficult species in cultivation in Southern California due mostly to local extremes in temperature (high end mostly), and potted plants seem particularly prone to rot if watered the wrong time of year. My best luck with this plant has been to neglect it as much as possible and have 'nature' water it whenever.
Aloe aristatas LL.jpg (215.93 KiB) Viewed 8315 times
plants in drought
Aloe aristatas LW.jpg (212.91 KiB) Viewed 8315 times
Plants in winter rains
NOte: best NOT to water plants that look all curled up like this much… good way to rot these (VERY prone to rot, species). Wait until winter wakes them up and then they can tolerate a good deal of water again. These plants have exceptional cold tolerance- down to 20F so far.