“Aloes are the flagship species of Africa.” – Ernst van Jaarsveld
This year aloes seem to be even more spectacular than usual, flowering resplendently and prolifically in the wild, on roadsides and in gardens, enlivening the winter scene.
Aloes are generally very hardy, bird-attracting plants, well-adapted to our climatic and geographic conditions. Apart from needing good drainage, they are not demanding. However, the better the soil (which is regularly mulched with well-matured compost) and a sufficient amount of water, the better their condition and flowering.
Improved hybrids are regularly being developed and new species are still being discovered. In Madagascar, for instance, 50 species were recorded in 1953. Now there are double that number. One of newest species found in South Africa is Aloe juddii, named after the well-known Cape Town artist, Eric Judd.
Aloe africana was the first species to be planted in Kirstenbosch. It is a single-stemmed aloe, which occurs naturally in dense bushveld, yet it makes a good garden subject. It is not often seen in the Western Cape.
A much more ubiquitous plant is the kranz aloe, A arborescens, which hybridises easily. Some of the resultant forms are very striking, such as the cross between it and A ferox. Apart from being an attractive ornamental plant, this aloe can double as a burglar-deterring hedge, or as a firebreak.
Our few fynbos aloes have had to learn to adapt to fires. One of these is A succotrina, which needs a fair amount of space, for it likes to grow in a large clump. Its preferred habitat is on screes, rock faces or in kloofs. Aloe commixta, another fynbos dweller, has a very small natural range – from Glencairn to Kommetjie. Its yellow flowers appear in August and September. As it has a sprawling form of growth, it can become untidy. It is best to cut it right down, to simulate fire conditions, and give the cuttings of this rare plant to fynbos growers.
An eye-catching, tough aloe that makes an excellent accent plant is the dune aloe, A thraskii. It occurs naturally in KZN but does well here, particularly in coastal areas. It is single-stemmed and grows to about two metres. Mature plants produce up to four branched inflorescenses of striking yellowish-orange flowers.
The Karoo aloe, A striata, is one of my favourites. A small plant, with smooth, broad, blue-green leaves, it bears up to three heads of branched inflorescenses varying from pinkish-red to bright orange. Alas, this lovely little aloe does not usually do well in the south-western Cape. An alternative would be to grow its strong hybrid cross with A maculata.
Another favourite of mine in A cryptopoda (formerly A wickensii), a beautiful, medium-sized species. Its flowers start off as red buds and open into yellow, making a striking contrast. - Cape Argus