I asked cactusmcharris about Aloe hybrids specifically in a post of mine (with concern about winter dormancy and the fact that mine is still growing) and he stated most hybrids don't go dormant in the winter and with warmth, will continue to grow. Hope that helps!

Planto

There are over 500 species, besides the hybrids, and plenty of both winter/summer growers. Best to figure out their native climate species by species to determine care.

I still do not exactly know when an aloe is a summer or fall or winter grower... most of my aloes grow year round. Are you specifically asking when they flower? Flowering is sometimes during the dormant time for many succulents, though this does not appear to be the case with aloes... as they grow all the time (at least most do). I do not particularly notice any burst of growth in winter and most of my aloes are actively making new leaves in dead heat of summer. I can tell you when most seem to like water most... maybe that is the best way to determine if they are winter or summer growers? Again, MOST of my aloes like water year round, though are definitely a few that do not want water all year round. Some plants from South Africa like water in winter, some in summer. They may be somewhat near each geographically, but just far enough apart to have different rainfall times. However, knowing this for all the aloes is not an easy thing.

I'm a new proud owner of a gorgeous aloe vera plant! I have no idea what species it is as it was not specified on the Home Depot packaging. All but two of the leaves are about 4-5 inches high and all but two of them are about an inch thick. All the leaves are sticking straight up though, with only a slight outward slant (and I really do mean SLIGHT).
Being a night owl, I've spent about the past 4 hours reading up on the care of aloes. But I'm just not sure if this is normal, the whole sticking straight up thing. All the aloes I've seen grow out to the side. Are the leaves sticking up because they haven't matured yet? And how do I know if I can harvest the aloe vera gel from this plant if I don't know the species? Can anyone offer some help and clarity? It would be greatly appreciated! ^-^

Good question. I only have a few. My little ones (including the same reddish edged one I sent you) are now inside under lights but they've been sending up flower stalks since July.

Howard,

I think there are more summer-growing Aloes than there are winter-ones, which can be expanded on by saying that winter-growing Aloes are less tolerant of summer water than summer-growing ones are tolerant of winter water. Still, more learned folks than me are of different opinions - see Geoff's comment above and some comments by Mark (xerophyte, who's been MIA unfortunately) in past Aloe threads.

Zoe,

A picture of your plant would help immensely, but normally they're that way when young - the sprawling rosette of Aloe vera (and other sprawling Aloes) doesn't develop until it's older.

{{gwi:494028}}

Thanks to all for your input. These are some that I currently have and haven't killed.... yet! They all seem to be OK, even the A. plicatilis, which I rescued from a watery grave at a Big Box store this summer. Since it had few roots, I haven't been watering it much... a few drops here and there but haven't seen any real growth, so I will proceed with great caution! I have two species, A. striata and A. plicatilis. All of the others are Kelly Griffin hybrids; A. 'Raspberry Ruffles', A. 'Christmas Carol', A. 'Donnie', A. 'Orange Marmalade'. A. 'Silver Ridge' and A. 'Doran Black' (not sure who lays claim to this one).

What triggers aloe dormancy, anyway?

I keep my aloes and haworthias fairly well-watered year round because they always look really bad if I don't (especially the haworthias).

On the other hand, most of my aloes are unidentifiable hybrids (which seems to be mostly trunking or vining). And I don't know how much winter/summer growing applies to hybrids anyway, like plantomaniac08 said, or if it does, how easily you could figure it out since the parentage is often ambiguous.

And why a hesperaloe - why not a processed leaf of, say, Agave ovatifolia? Probably not enough yet in cultivation to go corporate with hectares of growing plants yet, but I could totally see this as the next big thing at Trader Joe's. Right next to the Two-Buck Chuck.

Biker,

Almost all of those hybrids I've never seen, so a picture would be welcome. Aloe plicatilis comes from a wider range than any of the suggested winter-growing Aloes, and therefore can be more forgiving of summer water, but not in my experience. Mine up here is struggling along (it really would like a month of sun) but is growing and being watered (I'll upheave it next week to check out the roots and repot the poor sod), but in San Diego, this was a perfect plant, as you let Mother Nature water it in the winter and left it mostly dry in the summer. That's my experience, but others have different ones. x grows his Aloe dichotoma (a big honker of one) in the summer, and to me that's wacky, but it works for him. My plant stays inside for the most part in the summer, as we get rains then and I don't want it to get watered more than once a month.

Am,

In my experience, the conditions / seasons of growing, but as related to the DNA of the plant from the location it's from. For some, it's the end of winter rains (Aloe pillansii). For others, it's the opposite or the end of good times for a while. I'd guess that if you had warmth and water most don't go but only mostly dormant for a while, but if propitious conditions exist most will be in growth, at some times more accelerated as others, as conditions dictate.

Trunking hybrids? Like 'Medusa'? This I'd like to see.

"Trunking hybrids? Like 'Medusa'? This I'd like to see."

I have one that looks like A. Ferox except the leaf shape is wrong, and one that looks like A. Rupestris except it has spots. The thing that looks like A. ferox is quite possibly a ferox that's slightly deformed from blunt trauma and me forgetting to water it enough. Except I didn't think feroxes offset?

No idea about the other thing.

"They all seem to be OK, even the A. plicatilis, which I rescued from a watery grave at a Big Box store this summer."

Addendum: I was going to post and ask WHICH Big Box stores carried A. plicatilis, since I've never seen on in a big box store before, and then I found one at Lowes this morning. Not really sure if I can provide for it properly, but the state the soil was in made me think it's probably got a better chance with me than the store.

The A. plicatilis I purchased this summer was at HD planted in peat soaking wet. I purchased two of them for about $4.50 each (normal price was $20.00 each) because when I showed them what they had in the pot was rotted roots, they were happy to get rid of them and me too for making somewhat of a scene! One of them was just too far gone but the other was re-potted, after removing all of the dead roots, in a course mix and has held in there. I'm hoping it will get some roots and grow, s
ince all of this took place the end of August and the plant is still alive, maybe I have a chance??????