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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Aloeaceae (now Asphodeloideae) |
| Origin: Madagascar |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Red/Purple Foliage: Yes |
| Flower Color: Red |
| Bloomtime: Winter |
| Height: 8-12 feet |
| Width: 4-5 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Aloe suzannae (Malagasy Tree Aloe) A slow growing tree aloe to 8 to 12 feet that stays solitary or has few branches near the base with age. The rosettes have numerous narrow 2 to 3 foot long upright gray leaves, sometimes flushed pinkish, that have rounded tips and yellowish teeth turned inwards towards the plant, making this a very friendly plant with no sharp parts to be avoided. The campanulate shaped cream flowers, unusual in the genus, have yellow stamens and are open at night, completely covering in length a stout tight spike to 5 feet tall rising above the foliage. Flowering is rare with only a few recorded events in southern California in later winter to early spring on older plants and even on these only every few years at best. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and water very little in summer months. Long thought tender but many have commented on its ability to take frost and was proven hardy to 25° F at our nursery in the January 2007 freeze that reached this temperature 3 nights in a row. This plant's natural range is confined to the Amboasary region and Itampolo in south and south-west Madagascar where it grows in well drained soils along the sandy shore or cracks in large rocks. It is considered critically endangered with very few adult individuals known in each subpopulation and no evidence of regeneration. In habitat its flowers are thought to be pollinated by bats and lemurs. French naturalist Raymond Decary (1891-1973) who lived and worked much of his life in Madagascar named this plant in 1921 after his daughter Suzanne. Our plants are seed grown. We use the common name Malagasy Tree Aloe but note that this name is also shared by another tree aloe from Madagascar Aloe vaombe.
This information about Aloe suzannae 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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