Gasteraloe cv Wonder

[AnTTun]

One of my favorite gasteria hybrids. Plant is about 25 cms in diameter. Couldn't take a pic with right color levels, it's actually close to blue(ish)/gray(ish) shade of 'green'...

[ralphrmartin]

How strange. I have a plant with this name and it has much shorter stubbier leaves. Perhaps they get longer as the plant gets more mature?

[Mal L]

The plant I have had in the past also had much shorter and broader leaves, which sounds more like yours Ralph. I say "had in the past" as I have tried to grow this plant twice, as I find it quite attractive. However, for me it has always become plagued with the dreaded "black spots" (I think I can see a few small ones on your plant AnTTun), which eventually became so large and disfiguring that I disposed of the plant - the replacement plant eventually went the same way too. I don't know whether this plant is particularly susceptible to this, or I was just unlucky in acquiring two plants ( from different sources and at different times, but not overlapping) that were already infected to a small extent. I have never had other plants that suffered from this - probably because I don't tend to grow these types of plant much.

[Tony R]

Certainly, the UK version has much shorter leaves. Is yours grown under low lighting levels AnTTun?
Yes, I agree, it is probably the one out of all gasterias and X gasteraloes that suffers most from the 'black spot'

[ralphrmartin]

for me it has always become plagued with the dreaded "black spots"

Snap, mine is plagued by this problem too.

[uzbeck]

This is the first time I have seen ‘black spot’ mentioned on the forum. Can anyone say what it is?
A few years ago I had an epidemic of black spot that ran riot through Aloes in my conservatory. The black spots grew bigger if left alone, dried out the black area and often had a yellow edge. On the assumption it was some sort of fungus I treated the spots with an anti fungal and improved the ventilation in the conservatory. I examine the plants regularly and if I see any small spots treat them with the fungicide - this is quite successful. Shame about the plants that were disfigured or destroyed at the beginning.

[Brian]

I’ve only come across the dreaded black spot on aloes and gasteria, and Wonder does seem prone to it. I’ve always assumed the cause is a combination of poor ventilation / air flow combined with temperature too low.