From plantZafrica
Aloe ciliaris in the Asphodel/Aloe family
Almost all aloes come from Africa and its islands. Young aloes have opposite leaves, older plants leaves are in a spiral. This aloe can climb 10 metres or more. Stems lying on the ground will root. Flowering almost throughout the year (tho ours have just flowered now, with the first rain and cooler temperatures). Grow in dry river valleys, in thorny thickets dominated by succulent plants. Rain mostly in the summer with dry winters (but it grows happily in our Mediterranean climate). Ciliaris refers to the teeth, arranged like eyelashes around the base of the leaf. Pollinated by sunbirds. Shallow roots use the upper humus rich soil layer. As a climber, it grows fast. NOT resistant to heavy frost. Drought tolerant, and will take high rainfall if well drained (ours lives on our Karoo Koppie).
Photos and words by Diana of Elephant's Eye
9 comments:
As an English gardener with a Rambling Rector and a new (ten year old) apple tree - this is certainly a different creature from anything we have here. (Though the Rambling Rector vies with it for exuberance.)
Ten metres!
TEN METRES!
Esther
What a neat plant! Interesting to know even my ordinary aloe is from Africa.
Esther - It has only achieved the first metre so far. How high is your Rector?
Cyndy - so long as it is not Aloe vera. Last time I looked the jury was still out, on quite WHERE that comes from originally.
I'm not very good at heights but I'd say it's about twelve feet high in the places where it goes up into the air then droops like a fountain, then about four in the droop. (This all has to be tied down to the top of a tall wall soon or it will lash at people dangerously when the wind blows.) Where it has climbed into the Spanish Broom, it's about fifteen feet high and climbing.
Of course, this is NOW - and it's just started a growth spurt! One of the worst tasks of the year is when it comes to cutting it back. To have even one of its thorns stick in is terrible. (I almost fainted with the pain when one went into my hand.)
Very, very beautiful clusters of flowers and wonderful scent!
Esther
That is unusual...I love the bright bloom! I just planted a little aloe yesterday in a container.
A climbing aloe? How interesting! Thanks for sharing this information with us! I love the fact that you can just take a bit and get a new plant. I would like to get that "a bit" if it is not that far away! LOL . Love the closeup capture of the flower, so beautiful!
Anyone in Florida got 'a bit of this Aloe' for Ami? There are 2 posts up on Blotanical now, about the generosity of gardeners, so ...
What an astonishing, marvelous plant. I was looking at aloes in a horticultural greenhouse the other day, and several of them were flowering. Nothing, of course to the magnitude of this. I'm with Esther, awestruck. Ten metres is the size of the white spruce trees outside my house!
Jodi - of course, it needs the 10m tree, in the first place!
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