Aloe 'Blue Elf'

Use this forum to help with identification issues and to show off your beautiful plants, one species, subspecies, and cultivar at a time.

Moderator: Geoff

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!
Post Reply
User avatar
Geoff
Moderator
Posts: 5267
Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2013 8:12 am
Location: Acton, California 93510

Aloe 'Blue Elf'

#1

Post by Geoff »

this is a super common plant in southern California cultivation, and easy to obtain at almost any nursery that sells aloes. I am not sure what is in it, but looks like it could be Aloe humilis and something. IT is a smallish, stemless, prolifically suckering plant moderately thin blue-green leaves and soft teeth (making it a pretty user-friendly plant). Flowers are pinkish- coral in the fall. It is a pretty consistent cultivar with all the plants pretty much looking the same. Some nurseries label this plant as Aloe 'California', but I reserve that name for another unknown turquoise plant commonly available at garden outlet stores- much larger plant with spotted leaves and long stems retaining the leaves nearly their entire length. Turns out this is a very cold tolerant species showing no damage (even to flowers) down to about 24F... have seen them in yards doing well that I know were planted long before we hit 18F a few times. Not sure about the flowers at that temp.
Aloe Blue Elf neighbor 3.JPG
Aloe Blue Elf neighbor 3.JPG (206.68 KiB) Viewed 7406 times
Aloe blue elf in flower neighbors.jpg
Aloe blue elf in flower neighbors.jpg (224.37 KiB) Viewed 7406 times
Plants in my neighbor's yard
User avatar
Geoff
Moderator
Posts: 5267
Joined: Wed Dec 18, 2013 8:12 am
Location: Acton, California 93510

Re: Aloe 'Blue Elf'

#2

Post by Geoff »

Huntington
Huntington
Aloe blue elf Hunt.JPG (277.73 KiB) Viewed 7406 times
flower in my yard
flower in my yard
Aloe Blue Elf flowers 3-09.JPG (142.08 KiB) Viewed 7406 times
User avatar
Azuleja
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 1776
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 9:23 am
Location: CA | Zone 9a | Chaparral

Re: Aloe 'Blue Elf'

#3

Post by Azuleja »

I love blue elf and think it's excellent for fairy gardens and mixed container plantings where it adds narrow height with a wavy "under the sea" charm. Yes, it clumps and needs to be divided after a couple of years. The blooms are beautiful. Mine come in the spring.
User avatar
Azuleja
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 1776
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 9:23 am
Location: CA | Zone 9a | Chaparral

Re: Aloe 'Blue Elf'

#4

Post by Azuleja »

This was a large pup that I pulled off my main clump about 5 months ago. Shown in a 6" pot, now forming a flower and new pup of its own. Growing in partial shade with temps between 22-105°F

ETA, after being stuck in a clump it had less than ideal form. I "trained" it into a more open shape using long, thin twigs as braces to hold apart the leaves that were previously cramped and growing inwards.
Attachments
Aloe x 'Blue Elf'  January colors
Aloe x 'Blue Elf' January colors
20170103_134025.jpg (89.55 KiB) Viewed 7010 times
Aloe x 'Blue Elf' January colors
Aloe x 'Blue Elf' January colors
20170103_134016.jpg (110.23 KiB) Viewed 7010 times
Woodlily74
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 280
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 3:24 pm

Re: Aloe 'Blue Elf'

#5

Post by Woodlily74 »

I read that Blue Elf is a Emerald Hummel creation and it seems to be immune to aloe mite.
Woodlily74
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 280
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2016 3:24 pm

Re: Aloe 'Blue Elf'

#6

Post by Woodlily74 »

Parentage is A. gluaca x A. humilis. When grown on the coast it shrinks and turns purple v inland larger and blue colored.
User avatar
Meangreen94z
Ready to Bolt
Posts: 4670
Joined: Thu May 31, 2018 2:04 pm
Location: Austin, TX
USDA Zone: 8B

Re: Aloe 'Blue Elf'

#7

Post by Meangreen94z »

6CB77DCE-CD9E-4670-A90A-FF3AFB051215.jpeg
6CB77DCE-CD9E-4670-A90A-FF3AFB051215.jpeg (314.9 KiB) Viewed 5618 times
Austin, Texas
Post Reply