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Botanical name |
Aloe castanea |
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Other names |
Cat's tail aloe; katstertaalwyn (Afrikaans) |
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Asphodelaceae |
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Dimensions |
3 to 4 m tall, with multiple rosettes, usually starting with one stem dividing higher up; width can exceed 3 m; a rosette can exceed 70 cm in width |
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Description of stem |
Lower leaves drooping, dead leaves persist around stem, lowest part bare, smooth, grey |
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Description of leaves |
50 cm slender, yellow-green to light green, pointing upwardly with outer leaves opening widely, finely toothed on edges only; dry leaves persist apart from on the lowest part of the main stem |
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Description of flowers |
Single, gracefully curving racemes, often over 1m long in well-growing plants; open flowers form a bright orange patch on the slender raceme, rich in nectar (July to August), may have up to six racemes from one rosette |
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Description of seed/fruit |
Small, green pods |
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Description of roots |
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Variation |
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Propagation and cultivation |
Transplants easily, even older plants, grows easily from seed, little watering, avoid shade |
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Uses |
Garden plant, profuse volumes of pollen makes this aloe popular with bee farmers; ashes from the dry leaves has been used to protect grain from weevils |
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Ecological rarity |
Common, not threatened |
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Other |
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Pests and diseases |
Snout beetles |
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Location |
Bushveld, grassland hills |
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Distribution (SA provinces) |
Mpumalanga, Limpopo |
|
Country |
South Africa |
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