How often have you seen a sweet, colourful little Aloe broomii for sale in a garden centre and thought it would be a good plant to have and perhaps enter into a show in a restricted pot class? Well....
I have had an Aloe broomii for perhaps 25 years. It started life with me bedded out in a succulent bed but when that was dismantled to make way for staging it had to be potted. It has grown in diameter to the point where it could only be housed partially under the staging as it was in such a large half-depth pot. With more space available a couple of years ago we planted it in a full depth 20" pot. Always hoping to see the plant flower, we are about to achieve our wishes as it is putting up a very fat flower spike, when the flowers will actually open and how tall the spike will get remains to be seen.
These are lovely Aloes, with remarkably fierce teeth on the edges. I realised that it was what my mystery Aloe was, when I saw another picture of it. I'm so glad I have it and it would appear mine is big enough to flower, too.
Obsessive Crassulaceae lover, especially Aeoniums but also grow, Aloes, Agaves, Haworthias and a select number of Cacti.
I have an inherited plant that's circa 40 years old. Probably older. I've only reported it once and it's at about 6 inch diameter. Maybe I should try a deeper larger pot and see what happens! I've a new younger plant that's faired well in the cold greenhouse this winter.
