Tree Aloes in Florida?

[Stan]

Anybody In the mid to south part of the state try them? I would think Disney might use them also. They like plenty of water for plants that are thought of as desert plants. A.barbarae and A. tongaense could be best to try.

[funkmaster]

I have been trying to take some time to get photos to show instead of just explain, but I cannot find the time, and as it goes in Florida during the summer, it has been raining a lot.

I live in Gainesville, which is a little further north than Orlando, and in zone 9a instead of 9b, but I have been growing a whole bunch of tree aloes for years. All of my larger ones (which are outside in the elements) are in pots either 5 or 8 gallons, and range between 2 and 5 feet tall. A number of copies and smaller plants in 1 and 2 gallon pots live under a clear canopy to protect against overwatering. In the winter, I have covered the plants with plastic or moved them under the canopy and wrapped its open sides in plastic to protect against the frost and freezing temps (there are between 5 and 10 nights when I have to do this between January and March). All the plants used to be under the canopy full time, but last fall and this spring I started to run out of room as the plants grew too large and I obtained too many of them. So the rain they have been getting this summer is an experiment in surviving damp conditions. Last fall, there were a couple of heavy rains, but nothing as constant and consistent as summertime-in-Florida-rain (which starting end of June through August/Sept. is almost every day for at least a little bit).

The tree aloe that are under the canopy are:

africana
alooides
angelica
barberae
dichotoma
eminens
eximia
ferox
helenae
khamiensensis
marlothii
mawii
munchii
pillansii
plicatilis
pluridens
purpurea
ramosissima
sabaea
spicata
suzannae
tongaensis
vaombe

As you will see from the list below, though, I have some of the above plants out in the elements (ones with stars). The difference is the ones below are much larger:

*africana
*alooides
*barberae
comosa
*dichotoma
elata
excelsa
*ferox
*helenae
lineata
littoralis
*marlothii
*mawii
*plicatilis
*ramosissima
rupestris
rupicola
speciosa
*spicata
*tongaensis
thraskii
*vaombe
vaotsanda
vryheidensis

I do have a number of tree aloe hybrids that are both under the canopy and out in the elements:

Goliath
Hercules
Jenny Lind
ferox x excelsa
ferox x marlothii
marlothii x vryheidensis

And finally, I have a number of hybrids that have a single tree aloe as a parent that are both under the canopy and out in the elements:

reitzii x marlothii
globuligemma x marlothii
speciosa x cameronii
rubroviolacea x speciosa
pretoriensis x excelsa
peglerae x ferox
microstigma x ferox
marlothii x aculeata
globuligemma x marlothii
excelsa x capitata
cameronii x excelsa
camperi x sabaea
vaombe x microstigma

I don't know how good or bad the rain has been for them, as they look like they are all taking off, but I am a little afraid of what might happen after 3 solid months of regular moisture and how the roots might look. I have had a number of small hybrids like Bright Ember and Oik do alright in the rain for a while, but eventually their lower leaves start to rot off and then the root structure turns to mush. But this doesn't happen often, just once in a while. So far, the rain has been intermittent and not like a whole day of rain, so the sun and heat have allowed the potted soil to dry out before the next dousing.

Brian

[Stan]

Great plants,we need photos to enjoy. Hercules might be fine in ground. Just prune to upright..all off center branches removed before they get tipsy on you one day.

[RCDS66]

I have been trying to take some time to get photos to show instead of just explain, but I cannot find the time, and as it goes in Florida during the summer, it has been raining a lot.

I live in Gainesville, which is a little further north than Orlando, and in zone 9a instead of 9b, but I have been growing a whole bunch of tree aloes for years. All of my larger ones (which are outside in the elements) are in pots either 5 or 8 gallons, and range between 2 and 5 feet tall. A number of copies and smaller plants in 1 and 2 gallon pots live under a clear canopy to protect against overwatering. In the winter, I have covered the plants with plastic or moved them under the canopy and wrapped its open sides in plastic to protect against the frost and freezing temps (there are between 5 and 10 nights when I have to do this between January and March). All the plants used to be under the canopy full time, but last fall and this spring I started to run out of room as the plants grew too large and I obtained too many of them. So the rain they have been getting this summer is an experiment in surviving damp conditions. Last fall, there were a couple of heavy rains, but nothing as constant and consistent as summertime-in-Florida-rain (which starting end of June through August/Sept. is almost every day for at least a little bit).

The tree aloe that are under the canopy are:

africana
alooides
angelica
barberae
dichotoma
eminens
eximia
ferox
helenae
khamiensensis
marlothii
mawii
munchii
pillansii
plicatilis
pluridens
purpurea
ramosissima
sabaea
spicata
suzannae
tongaensis
vaombe

As you will see from the list below, though, I have some of the above plants out in the elements (ones with stars). The difference is the ones below are much larger:

*africana
*alooides
*barberae
comosa
*dichotoma
elata
excelsa
*ferox
*helenae
lineata
littoralis
*marlothii
*mawii
*plicatilis
*ramosissima
rupestris
rupicola
speciosa
*spicata
*tongaensis
thraskii
*vaombe
vaotsanda
vryheidensis

I do have a number of tree aloe hybrids that are both under the canopy and out in the elements:

Goliath
Hercules
Jenny Lind
ferox x excelsa
ferox x marlothii
marlothii x vryheidensis

And finally, I have a number of hybrids that have a single tree aloe as a parent that are both under the canopy and out in the elements:

reitzii x marlothii
globuligemma x marlothii
speciosa x cameronii
rubroviolacea x speciosa
pretoriensis x excelsa
peglerae x ferox
microstigma x ferox
marlothii x aculeata
globuligemma x marlothii
excelsa x capitata
cameronii x excelsa
camperi x sabaea
vaombe x microstigma

I don't know how good or bad the rain has been for them, as they look like they are all taking off, but I am a little afraid of what might happen after 3 solid months of regular moisture and how the roots might look. I have had a number of small hybrids like Bright Ember and Oik do alright in the rain for a while, but eventually their lower leaves start to rot off and then the root structure turns to mush. But this doesn't happen often, just once in a while. So far, the rain has been intermittent and not like a whole day of rain, so the sun and heat have allowed the potted soil to dry out before the next dousing.

Brian

Wow.... simply wow.
funkmaster, I would have dreamt to have a tree aloe collection like that. And thanks for taking time for doing such a compreshensive post.
Any further updates? How did your tree aloes perform in the summer rains? Can you name a few that did very well and also those that didn't (if there are any). I am particularly interested in knowing the performance of Kumara plicatillis when the temperatures crossed 100*F and the humidity levels were also high. Would love to see the pics of your wonderful collection if it is convenient to you. Thanks