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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Aloeaceae (Aloes) |
| Origin: South Africa (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Red & Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Winter |
| Synonyms: [A. cryptopoda] |
| Height: 2-3 feet |
| Width: 2-3 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Drought Tolerant: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 20-25° F |
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Aloe wickensii (Geelaalwyn) - Succulent plant with solitary stemless rosettes densely packed with uprightly curved smooth grey-green leaves with small sharp reddish brown spines along the margins. The beautiful bi-colored red and yellow flowers appear well above the leaves in branched racemes in late winter with red buds opening to yellow flowers from the bottom of the inflorescence up. Plant in full sun to light shade in a well drained soil and water occasionally to regularly in summer (from a summer rainfall area). Hardy to 20°F. This plant is most recently included into Aloe cryptopoda but this bi-colored form has long been grown under the name Aloe wickensii with Aloe cryptopoda being more uniformly all yellow or all red so we continue to list it as such. This plant is from an area east of Pietersburg to Burgersfort south to near Marble Hall and Nebo in an area that received much of its 20-25 inches of rainfall in the summer. It was named for a Mr. Wickens who with a Mr. Pienaar found this plant 25 miles south of Pietersburg in Northern Transvaal in 1914. Aloe cryptopoda is widely distributed in bushveld areas, in flat open areas and on rocky slopes across the a band of the subtropical area on the northern boundries of eastern South Africa. It is closely related to Aloe lutescens, a generally smaller plant which can be found further to the north. The name "crytpopoda" meaning hidden foot is in reference to the peduncles that are hidden by bracts within the inflorescence. The name Geelaalwyn is the Afrikaner name applied to both of these plants.
The description above is based on our research and observations of this plant growing in our nursery, in our own garden and in other gardens in the Santa Barbara area. We would appreciate hearing from anyone who has additional information about this plant, even if they disagree with what we have written.
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