Botanical name |
Aloe lutescens |
Other names |
|
Family |
Asphodelaceae |
Dimensions |
Classified as a stemless aloe that grows in groups with comparatively large, erect rosettes |
Description of stem |
Very short, cannot support the heavy rosette off the ground, so the stem, usually not visible during casual observation, is positioned sideways, horizontally |
Description of leaves |
Narrow, erect leaves with the tips curved inwards, varying in colour between light green and a yellowish green; small sharp teeth occur only on the leaf edges, with both surfaces being smooth |
Description of flowers |
Usually up to three racemes per inflorescence, appearing in winter; the buds are dark red on the conically shaped raceme, but the open perianth has turned light yellow and by then characteristically hanging down |
Desciption of seed/fruit |
Fleshy green capsules |
Description of roots |
More likely to make suckers and form clusters than A. cryptopoda |
Variation |
|
Propagation and cultivation |
Transplants without difficulty, seeds germinate easily; half-day sun preferable; slow-growing |
Tolerances |
Will withstand periodic drought |
Uses |
A popular and rewarding garden plant |
Ecological rarity |
Common |
Pests and diseases |
May rot in too shady and over-watered conditions |
Other |
Resembles aloe cryptopoda, the flowers similar to the bicolour variation of A. cryptopoda that used to be called Aloe wickensii; has shorter and broader racemes, with the mouth of the perianth upturned; lutescens means 'becoming yellow' |
Location |
Rocky slopes and grassland in full sun or semi-shade |
Distribution (SA provinces) |
Limpopo Province; Mpumalanga |
Country |
South Africa; Botswana |