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Aloe alooides (Graskop Aloe) - A large unbranched large tree-like shrub aloe that typically grows to 6 to 7 feet tall with a solitary rosette of thick olive-green lanceolate leaves held on a stout stem that is usually covered with a skirt of old leaves. The canaliculate (deeply channeled) leaves can be up to 4 feet long by 7 inches wide and spread outward then with the narrowing tip decurved back towards the main stem or the ground with stout brownish teeth and pink to red margins. In winter appear unbranched cylindrical spikes from the rosette crown that rise an additional 4 to 5 feet tall holding sessile tubular yellow flowers with green midstripes and orange stamen anthers held tight to the inflorescence. Young plants might only produce a single showy flower spike, but mature plants often have 3 to 5 and while the flowers of this species are noted as being among the smallest in the genus, this is made up for by how many flowers each spike has and how densely solid they are arranged.
Plant in full sun in all but the hottest desert areas in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally in summer months. Cold hardy to as low as 25 °F. surprisingly summer drought tolerant for a warm season grower but at its best when it gets some summer irrigation and is kept drier in winter where this is possible so soil drainage is important in our winter rainfall climate. A spectacular looking large aloe with foliage looks similar to Aloe thraskii but with longer more decurved leaves and in flower similar to Aloe castanea, Aloe spicata and Aloe vanbalenii but is solitary and larger than these others. The bees really like this plant!
Aloe alooides comes from a restricted range in the Mpumalanga escarpment in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa where it grows in shallow soils on dolomite outcrops from 5,500 to 6,500 feet in elevation. This area has warm rainy summers with winters that are relatively dry and cold. The name Aloe comes from ancient Greek name aloe that was derived from the Arabian word 'alloch' that was used to describe the plant or its juice that was used as medicine. The specific epithet means "resembling Aloe" which referenced that the this species was first described as species of the genus Urginea that resembles an Aloe. Its common name references the small mining town Graskop in the Mpumalanga province. Another common name is Skirt Aloe for the way it holds its older dry leaves as a "skirt" on its trunk. Our plants from John Miller of the Institute for Aloe Studies in 2019 as 5 IAS 19-003.
The information about Aloe alooides 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. |
