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Aloe affinis - A stemless or short-stemmed solitary Aloe that has a rosette up to 1 to 2 feet tall with light green colored leaves marked with many longitudinal dark lines on the upper surface and are paler and lightly marked below with leaf tips often pink tinged with teeth and leaf margins that are a dark reddish-brown. The flower stalk is a tightly branched panicle rising 2 to 3 feet above the rosette covered densely with deep pink to brick-red flowers that appear between late fall and early winter with flower buds often having visible striping with darker red bands.
Plant in full coastal sun or light shade. Has proven fairly drought resistant even in summer dry gardens but looks best when irrigated in summer. Hardy to 22 F.
Aloe affinis aloe is found in the summer rainfall areas of the eastern Transvaal (Swaiziland north to Marieps Mountain) where it grows with shrubs and grasses on rocky slopes between 3000-4000 feet where it experiences moderate to warm summer temperatures and light frosts in winter. The name 'affinis', meaning "related to" or "resembling" comes from this plant's relationship to other maculate or spotted aloes such as Aloe maculata (ex. A. saponaria) although A. affinis has larger leaves, is usually unspotted and, unlike much of this group, remains mostly solitary. We first grew this plant from seed given to us by Brian Kemble, curator of the Ruth Bancroft Garden in 2003.
This information about Aloe affinis displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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