Flowering of Aloiampelos ciliaris

[Colin Walker]

Here are three more Aloiampelos in cultivation at Kirstenbosch.

A. ciliaris var. tidmarshii. This is the var. with the standard chromosome count of 2n=14. Even though this is in cultivation, this is how it looks in the wild, hidden amongst and supported by other vegetation.

A. commixta

Finally here's A. decumbens, the smallest growing of the seven species in this genus.

[Colin Walker]

Hi Colin,

Your A.ciliaris came to us from Douglas Huth who grew it in free root run with minimal heating.

The Cleistocactus needs to br around 1m to flower according to Tony.

Best wishes, Suzanne

Thanks Suzanne. With the current rate of growth the Cleistocactus should flower in the not too distant future. All my cleistocacti and a lone Pilosocereus do really well in our porch.

[Phil_SK]

A. striatula is also quite variable but here only a single additional var. has been named: A. striatula var. caesia which has yellow flowers as opposed to the typical orange-red of var. striatula.

Phil, please let us know what colour your flowers are.

They're yellow and green with orange dangly bits (see photo from 2017). I'm going to have to update my database, aren't I?

[Paul in Essex]

Colin, I am very familiar with the Hyde Hall plant (I volunteer there) and also grow var caesia here - it is difficult to tell from just a picture but would say their plant is 'regular' striatula. The var caesia I have, aside from the smaller yellow flowers that are held more horizontally, is smaller with greyer leaves and is inclined to branch quite a lot before the stems even flower. It is actually a nicer form to grow, although just as prone to snail and aphid attack as the normal form.

I've grown striatula for 25 years and not lost it. In my experience it will get shoot damage around -6C, be cut to the wood around -8C but always re-grow. The person I got mine from was growing it through the murderous winters of the mid-80s and his plant came back from underground after his garden went down to -18C. So, yes, it is the hardiest aloe by a country mile.

[Colin Walker]

Colin, I am very familiar with the Hyde Hall plant (I volunteer there) and also grow var caesia here - it is difficult to tell from just a picture but would say their plant is 'regular' striatula. The var caesia I have, aside from the smaller yellow flowers that are held more horizontally, is smaller with greyer leaves and is inclined to branch quite a lot before the stems even flower. It is actually a nicer form to grow, although just as prone to snail and aphid attack as the normal form.

I've grown striatula for 25 years and not lost it. In my experience it will get shoot damage around -6C, be cut to the wood around -8C but always re-grow. The person I got mine from was growing it through the murderous winters of the mid-80s and his plant came back from underground after his garden went down to -18C. So, yes, it is the hardiest aloe by a country mile.

Thanks for all of that Paul. Happy to concede re the ID of the Hyde Hall plant 'cos there's nothing more useful than to have observed the living plant F2F.

As to hardiness of A. striatula. Well, although my plants are currently outside, they're not staying there over the winter since the Scottish climate isn't kind to aloes or agaves and I don't intend to undertake the massive work required just to keep them alive outdoors up here north of the border.

[Terry S.]

I never even knew about A. striatula var. caesia, but I see that it is my most up-to-date Aloe book that was written by Gilbert Reynolds. The flowers for the type variety are certainly given as buds red, open flowers reddish-orange to orange; leaves bright green. The variety caesia is given as buds greenish-yellow, open flowers plain yellow; leaves milky green. The two varieties are said to grow in discrete populations. Considering the discussions above, I wonder if there is more overlap between the varieties than Mr. Gilbert was aware of?

[Paul in Essex]

That is VERY interesting Terry. I came into the hobby via exotic gardening and in those circles Aloe striatula is a commonly grown plant - I'd guess much more so than with cactus and succulent collectors. So in 30 years of discussing exoting gardening, running a nursery, running a forum and my entire network of contacts I have only ever heard of one person who said he had a redd-ish clone of Aloiampelos striatula and that is now lost. All plants I know of in cultivation have, at best, an orange tint in bud.Yet Reynolds describes this as the type - wild populations must be a fabulous sight!

HUGE question - does anyone have a reddish clone of this? I'd absolutely LOVE to get my hands on this.

Here is the Hyde Hall plant at a slightly different stage of flowering which shows the orange tint in the unopened flowers - this is most typical of cultivated plants.

[Herts Mike]

Mine is in bud for the first time....

We shall see!

[MaciejW]

In habitat - Aloe commixta, Cape Peninsula.

[Paul in Essex]

Thank you for posting that picture - solved a puzzle, perhaps, as I think I have that as an UK in my greenhouse.

Speaking of red flowered Aloe striatula, I did a bit of Googling and clicked on the images that showed an orange-red flower. i was surprised to see that one of them was from a nursery in Cornwall called 'Trecanna'. The plants were cheap so I ordered one to see if it is any different. It arrived today and, encouragingly, the leaves have a kind of bronze tint to them - something 'regular' striatula doesn't have. Hopefully it will flower next year.