Aloe maculata

[Geoff]

aka Aloe saponaria. This is arguably the second most commonly grown aloe in the world (second only to Aloe vera). It is a very easy, aggressive, very cold hardy (maybe 18F) and widely available species. It is a South African native- one of the myriad of green spotted aloes with reddish, orange or yellow flowers that looks so much like all the other green spotted aloes in existence. Plants grow in full shade (but get unhealthfully etiolated) to full, hot sun, and are a spreading, horizontally flattened plant, aggressively suckering with stiff, arching, green to maroon leaves heavily armed with very sharp, stiff, sometimes a bit hooked, teeth along the leaf margins. Flowers primarily in winter, but can be seen in spring as well. Flowers are on somewhat branched inflorescences and with dense capitate racemes. Orange to reddish are the most common colors, but several California botanical gardens have large collections of the yellow-flowering form (never had one personally).

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[Geoff]

not a very mite resistant species

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[GreekDesert]

Aloe maculata

[GreekDesert]

Aloe maculata

[Azuleja]

Photo bombed

[Viegener]

A question:are the ratty tips I see on most maculatas just inherent to the species or can they be prevented by some kind of watering regime? Is this how they grow in their native range? I've seen some purported habitat pics that indicate so. To me the rattiness is unacceptable, especially considering the number of other aloes that are easy growers with nice blooms that hold up better year-round.

In some surprising contexts, the LA Arboretum, for one, I've seen maculatas looking absolutely wretched. Why then are they so common and, I suppose, popular?

[Azuleja]

Mine don't have ratty tips. I think it's important to protect them from excess rain in winter. It makes them susceptible to tip damage and split leaves. In summer, I'm careful not to overwater, yet I also don't let them sit dry long enough to start to crisp at the ends. They love sun and heat but my yard has a lot of large oaks so most are in partial shade.

Here's a small one that took on a brown color from stress and has held it for about a year now. It's doing great on my sun bench where many agaves are burning. Unfortunately, I can see hints of green coming back now. The indentations on the lower right leaf are from too much rain over this winter.

Eta: I have a soft spot for these common, unappreciated aloes and have been growing this particular clone of it for over 20 years. Even over years of absolute neglect it refused to die. I take much better care of them now.

[Geoff]

The leaf tip necrosis is indeed a very natural and widespread phenomenon in nature, in the majority of the aloe species... though much more pronounced in the spotted aloes. It is easily avoidable if one provides their aloes with a modicum of shade and waters well in drier times (though some Aloe species are quite unhappy about being watered in dry, hot weather and will readily rot when that happens). Note that shade decreases the plants 'natural' look sometimes (by causing leaves to etiolate a bit), stay a bit greener than natural, and also make them less likely to flower. So its a bit of a trade off sometimes.

However, I certainly have never found that 'protecting' Aloe maculata from excessive moisture in winters was ever necessary, literally never seeing this species rot even if watered daily (same goes with summer watering by the way). But keeping this one well watered DOES keep them from getting leaf tip necrosis pretty effectively. These plants grow great in shade, sun, heat, cold, drought, sloggy-muddy-cold-rainy-heavy-clay soils etc. That is one of the reasons that species is so popular. On top of that, gophers and rabbits seem to stay away from Aloe maculata.. .though no idea why. They seem to like most other aloes I grow here in the high desert.

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Here are some other 'maculate' aloes with similar necrosis

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aloe graminicola leaf tip necrosis H Jan.jpg (113.06 KiB) Viewed 4240 times

In my own garden, in which I was growing over 500 species/varieties of aloes in the San Fernando valley clay (or some in raised beds of cactus soil) I had leaf tip necrosis in may species, and none in others... seems the fleshier-leaved and fat-stiff, blue species were less prone, but all aloes seem to be at 'risk' of getting some leaf tip necroses if not watered well most of the year. And in the botanical gardens, leaf tip necrosis is definitely the norm as these gardens water their aloes very rarely (at least in summer).

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Aloe broomii early flower H.jpg (165.53 KiB) Viewed 4240 times

[Azuleja]

Interesting about the gopher resistance and nice to know.

Regarding rain damage, I noticed that my wet winter maculatas suffered more tip damage in freezing weather than those kept dry. I also noticed the smaller potted plants were prone to swelling and splits in their lower leaves. This minor damage grows out pretty fast though.

[Azuleja]

These two plants and the plant in post #5 are one and the same. In post #5 the plant was on my porch where it became etoliated. I moved it back into the sun and neglected to water it, so it turned purple. Clones of this plant, including the one in post #7, have been putting up with my abuse for years.

[MSX]

It grows like a weed producing many offshoots around the motherplant with dangerously sharp thorns protecting the thick and unbreakable leaves, a good choice to discourage break-ins

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[mcvansoest]

It grows like a weed producing many offshoots around the motherplant with dangerously sharp thorns protecting the thick and unbreakable leaves, a good choice to discourage break-ins

LOL, we use Chollas for that here...