Learn more at How to Grow and Care for Aloe. For best results, sow the seeds during the warm months. Propagation: Since it rarely produces offsets, Aloe polyphylla is usually propagated by seeds. Pick a container that is one size larger and with drainage holes. Repotting: Repot only as needed during spring. Use a water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half the recommended strength. Cut back on watering during the winter months.įertilizing: Although it generally does not require fertilizer, Aloe polyphylla will benefit from extra nutrients. Water deeply, but only when the soil is completely dry to the touch, and do not let water stand in the rosettes. Watering: This plant needs regular watering but can tolerate drought conditions for short periods. Aloe polyphylla grows best in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 9b to 11b, with average minimum winter temperatures ranging from 25 to 50 ☏ (-3.9 to 10 ☌). While mature plants can handle 10☏ (-12☌) and snow, younger plants should be protected from hard freezes. If you live in consistently hot areas, especially one with warm nights, it might not thrive. Temperature: This plant does not do well in extremely high temperatures. Use commercial soil for succulents, or make your own well-draining mix. Soil: Great drainage is essential for growing this plant because too much moisture for an extended period can cause root rot. Outdoors, the plant prefers light shade, especially during the hottest parts of the day. Rotate the pot once or twice a week to ensure all sides of the plant receive equal lighting. Light: When growing Aloe polyphylla indoors, place it near a window with plenty of bright indirect light. In cultivation, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, United States. The specific epithet " polyphylla (pol-ee-FIL-uh)" means "many-lived" and refers to the rosettes that may have 75 to 15 leaves. It grows in basalt rock crevices in mountainous, grassy slopes ranging from 6,560 to 8,200 feet (2,000 to 2,500 m) above sea level and sometimes higher on east-facing slopes. OriginĪloe polyphylla is native to Lesotho (Maloti Mountains) and South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal). The plants removed from their native habitat typically do not survive for more than a few years. Removing plants or seeds of Aloe polyphylla from their native habitat or buying them from roadside vendors is a criminal offense. The flower of this species is the national flower of Lesotho. The flowers appear in tight head-like racemes on inflorescences that are branched very low down and about 2 feet (60 cm) above the foliage. In spring and early summer, the mature rosette produces red to salmon pink or occasionally yellow flowers that measure up to 2.2 inches (5.5 cm) long. As they age, the tips become dark purplish-brown. The gray-green leaves are broadly triangular with margins armed with rather soft white teeth with irregular arrangement. Spiraling begins when the rosette is at least 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter or about two years old. While the rosettes do not produce offsets, the plant usually forms dense clumps from the germination of its seeds. The rosettes have 75 to 150 leaves, always in 5 rows, and can reach a diameter of 3 feet (90 cm). Scientific Nameįamily: Asphodelaceae Subfamily: Asphodeloideae Genus: Aloe DescriptionĪloe polyphylla is a beautiful succulent that forms stemless rosettes of fleshy leaves arranged in a distinctive spiral pattern that can be clockwise or counterclockwise. Aloe polyphylla has gained the Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society. However, the species was not formally described until 1934 by the South African botanist Neville Pillans. Holland on the southwestern slopes of Furumela Mountain in Lesotho. Aloe polyphylla is one of the most ornamental Aloes but is extremely difficult to grow.
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