Aloe x spinosissima

Aloe x spinosissima, also known as the spiny aloe, is a compact, robust and floriferous aloe, resulting from the cross-breeding of the arborescent aloe and the perfectly miniature A. humilis. This medium-sized plant forms a beautiful cluster of spider-like rosettes with long, leafy, strongly dentate but non-prickly leaves. In late winter, it produces a beautiful flowering in bright coral-red spikes, a colour beautifully highlighted by the slightly glaucous green of the evergreen rosettes. This hybrid is easy to grow in a Mediterranean-style climate. It is magnificent in a large rockery or embedded in a dry-stone wall. Elsewhere, it can be grown in a large pot to adorn a patio in summer. It is also a very beautiful indoor plant that will thrive behind a sunny window.

Aloe x spinosissima is a plant from the Asphodelaceae family. It is of horticultural origin. It is a semi-shrubby, succulent, perennial plant with a compact and bushy habit. An adult plant will form a large cluster of rosettes almost as wide as it is tall, reaching an average height of 60cm (24in) and a spread of 50cm (20in). Its growth rate is quite slow in dry climates. Each rosette, not exceeding 40cm (16in) in width, is composed of long, fleshy leaves filled with gel at the base, flattened and tapering towards their tips. They are greenish-blue in colour, covered with small, flexible, whitish spur-like projections on both sides and along the edges. The lamina is covered with a bluish bloom. Each mature rosette produces an inflorescence from March onwards. The 40cm (16in) tall flower stalk rises above the foliage, carrying a single spike composed of numerous elongated, tubular flowers, which are initially upright and then trailing. Their colour is a soft coral-red that shines under the sun. They attract pollinating insects, which will be delighted to find a source of food in winter. The plant multiplies by producing offsets near its base, which are easy to separate to obtain a new plant.

Aloe x spinosissima can be easily grown in the ground in sloping, rocky, well-drained soil, or even in dry-stone walls that provide a vertical position conducive to soil drainage. In this use, it can be paired with Russeliana juncea, which bears red blooms in February. Its cold resistance depends largely on the dryness of the soil in winter. It can be grown in a fairly large pot to allow it to flourish comfortably, which should be protected from humidity and strong frosts in winter. It is hardy to about -7°C (19.4°F) in dry soil. It can be planted with small agaves. You can plant low-growing, undemanding ground covers such as evening primroses, osteospermums, felicia, and delosperma at its base, which will fill the space with their flowering and evergreen foliage, and hide the void left by a dead plant.

About Agaves and Aloes

Aloes and agaves look alike but belong to two different botanical families, the Asphodelaceae and the Asparagaceae. The main difference between them lies in the fact that the rosettes of aloes flower for many years, while the flowering of a mature agave rosette marks the end of its life. In certain species of aloes, interfoliar buds give rise to new plants that cover the dried remains of the mother plant. In agaves, the central flower stalk develops from the terminal bud. In aloes, the flower buds arise between the leaves. Agaves are native to North America, while aloes are found only in the southern half of Africa and in the nearby islands of the Indian Ocean.