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Some aloe identities

8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago

Aloe number 1:







I was thinking maybe it's a.arborescens affected by circumstances. Or maybe something else.


I couldn't get any closer to the flower because the plant is on a very steep slope and there are also too many spiky leaves in the way : /


The folliage is rather colourful, which I'm assuming might be due to cool temperatures and lack of water. It is very dry here now, and these plants would rely on natural rainfall only. Also the growth habit might be affected by the steep slope.


I have seen plants locally that look more like A.arborecens. They have been flowering longer and are greener and grow in more of a mound, but maybe this is a difference in growing conditions.


BTW, the plants have suffered some recent damage at the hands of the council.

Thanks!

Comments (13)

  • 8 years ago

    Some more photos:

  • 8 years ago

    Aloe number 2:

    This one looks sort of similar to the previous aloe but on a much smaller scaler, and is growing in a neat mound. Also it has some Orange spines. For scale: the bricks are regular brick size : )


    I took a cutting:

  • 8 years ago


    Well I guess this is harder than I'd hoped : /

    Aloe number 3:





    Could be the same as aloe number 1, I don't know. Anyway I think it is probably A. Arborescens??

  • 8 years ago

    I can only compare photos, and would go with A. arborescens...

    Cheap Shoots thanked rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
  • 8 years ago

    #2 looks a lot like how my cameronii grows.

    Cheap Shoots thanked User
  • 8 years ago

    The last one looks very arborescens. The 2nd looks somewhat cameronii-like, will get very red when stressed.

    Cheap Shoots thanked hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
  • 8 years ago

    I have a seedling similar like this that I don't have an ID. I don't have a current picture. Aloe Stacking Striatula tree aloe or Aloe-ciliaris-Climbing-Aloe-plant?? Turns a brownish-red in hot sun during summer.

    Cheap Shoots thanked Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Thanks all!

    Rina, do you mean aloe number 3?

    Number 2 is indeed quite similar to a.cameronii, but I don't think that's what it is. A. Cameronii seems to have more of a suckering habit, while number 2 is rather shrubby. A. Cameronii seems to have larger, leafier rosettes with some gloss. The foliage of aloe number 2 could be described as glaucous, I think.

    However I might be wrong, I have no personal experience of cameronii. Unfortunately, because it looks lovely.

    Stush, I will look into those plants. But in your photo they look more glossy and green too.

    Any thoughts on the likelihood of aloe 1 and aloe 3 being the same plant, in different conditions?

    Thanks again!

  • 8 years ago

    Well Stush I think your suggestions for number are the closest thing, ie the 'Aloiampelos' group of aloes.
    I have now been through all the aloes on the aloe institute site that have pictures, and also every aloe that has a Wikipedia entry. I couldn't find anything more like it but it still doesn't seem to quite fit.

    So i think it is probably a hybrid. I was at a nursery the other day and they had quite a few aloes for sale, and all were hybrids except aloe Vera. Hybrids really make ID difficult sometimes : /

    Anyway here is another aloe, but I'm not sure it is an aloe. Maybe it is a gasteraloe or gasteria.
    I had thought it was spineless but now I find it has tiny teeth.

    Aloe number 4:






    Aloe buhrii looks like it could be a match, it apparently has 'minutely toothed leaves'.

    Thanks all!

  • 8 years ago

    CheapShots, I think all aloes come from the same one plant source thousands of years ago so all aloes are hybrids of some kind or another. Only advanced DNA can sort the family tree out. I've seen too many too close to call. I do enjoy the expert classification if they give their reasons behind it. Just location alone doesn't cut it.

    I never seen gasteraloe or gasteria get very tall like yours. But it is in the family tree so to speak.

    Cheap Shoots thanked Stush2049 Pitts. PA, zone 6
  • 8 years ago

    Stush, you have a great collection. And from seed is impressive! I have recently been gaining a much greater appreciation for aloes. For a long time I overlooked them as commonplace plants that grow amongst weeds in neglected places.
    But I have grown to love them: so sculptural and dramatic. And amazingly varied, as I learned from my ID research. And of course I want more : )

    That plant is certainly very similar, if it's leaves were more glaucous with yellowy-Orange teeth it could be the same plant.
    The third plant along in that photo looks like a.juvenna? Do you know what the blue plant is?

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    Stush, you make a very good point about hybrids. I would imagine many, many species in existence have some hybridization in their lineage. I will just have to learn to enjoy the mystery i suppose : /
    I do enjoy the whole plant ID puzzle, it is always satisfying to find the solution. But the process is worthwhile too, like now I know more about aloes even if I don't know exactly what my aloes are. At least that is what I tell myself when I can't solve the mystery ( or find someone to solve it for me!)

    I hope your plants survive all the rain. I think many or at least some aloes are quite tolerant of high rainfall. Here we get 1300mm / 52in average annual rainfall (i am actually a little south of sydney, its a little wetter and a little cooler here). Late summer to early autumn is the wettest time, sometimes it rains for weeks and many aloes are happy here in the ground. Pittsburgh's summer average high temps actually exceed what we get here, so I think you'll be good especially if the rains stop before it gets too cold. At least I hope so. I'm afraid i rather enjoy climate data ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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