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Aloe dyeri (Dyer's Aloe) - This solitary stemless aloe is one of the largest of the spotted aloe group that forms large rosettes 4 to 5 feet wide with deeply channeled 2 foot long dark yellowish-green leaves that have light-colored short linear dashes on upper and lower surfaces. In fall appear the tall stalks (to 6 feet) that branch in the top third bearing up to 15 branches of salmon-pink tubular 1 inch long flowers that are green tipped and erect in bud and develop an interesting swollen base as the flowers open, dangling downwards.
Plant in full sun or shade in a well-drained soil and watered occasionally. Not thought to be particularly hardy but we have not tested its limits but note references to it tolerating temperatures down to 25° F. A shade loving aloe in its natural habitat but it will also grow nicely in full sun where leaves take on a reddish-brown hue.
This aloe comes from fairly high elevations (3,300 to 5,000 feet) in Mpumalanga (formally Eastern Transvaal) and was named to honor Sir William Thiselton-Dyer of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Our originals plants of this species that we sold from 2013 until 2019 were grown from seed collected near Ngodwana, South Africa. Our later crop was propagated vegetatively from a single plant given to us when visiting designer, nurseryman and plant book author Scott Ogden at his Austin home in 2013.
The information about Aloe dyeri displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include 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 we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant. |
