Hardy Aloes in the UK garden

[Mike_K]

I try to increase their chances of survival by planting near the
garden wall, improving the drainage and covering the plants with bubble wrap for winter. It always is a lot of work but usually it pays off.
Are there any Aloe hybrids you think might be hardy which are available to buy from UK sellers?

[edds]

Are there any Aloe hybrids you think might be hardy which are available to buy from UK sellers?

'Cosmo' is a x Gasteraloe hybrid. I think 'Hercules', that Paul mentioned, is the other worth trying. Most aloe hybrids and certainly smaller ones will not survive outside as they have a lot of tender species in their make-up.

I'm hoping to make a few hybrids with Aloe polyphylla next summer trying to cross it with aristata and striatula to see if they will prove hardy and good garden plants.

[Paul in Essex]

I'd have thought that list of nearly 30 would have kept you busy for a while There is a chap on SW Cornwall, Marazion, I think his name is Mike Harvey, who grows an astonishing range of aloes outside. I think he has hybridised lots, too. Might be worth trying to track him down - I've lost touch (need to find him again next year, I think) One thing I would say, I would be surprised if Exeter only went down to -2C, I would have expected it to go a few degrees lower some winters. Still, -2C was the figure mentioned.

Drainage is a given. No point trying to grow succulents outside if they aren't in perfectly drained media. I always liken it to growing water lilies. You wouldn't just dig a hole in the border, plant a water lily and expect it to grow well - you give it what it needs. In the case of a water liliy it is having its crown covered in water, in the case of succulents it is perfect drainage. A raised bed is the best way to accomplish this. With just a few exceptions I now use no soil, just organic material such as all-in ballast and rubble. Full sun is another important factor, as is good air movement. Growing plants in beds at the base of walls helps, winter cover helps.

[AllanA]

I have had 2 Aloe polyphylla's outside here for more than 12 years, They have not had more than the odd night with the lowest temps of no more than -2C.
However they have had copious amounts of rain and the only problem with them is that the salt laden wind burns the ends of the leaves and turns them brown, ( especially when its blowing between 60-80 miles per hour).
My conclusion is that you should not worry too much, about them getting too much water.

[Phil_SK]

I've had Aloiampelos striatula in the garden for a number of years, though it was planted out post-2010. It gets a bit of shelter from the very close-by privet hedge, it's fairly close to the house and the patch of ground was where I dumped old cactus soil for a while, so the mollycoddling is minimal.
It has grown into a really nice garden plant, on the whole.

The flowers are a bit of a let-down, especially in the years when the aphids and ants find them.

Moderate frosts leave it looking in a bad way but it bounces back from a freeze like this (2nd Jan 2021) without a mark:

This last month, however, has seen major damage. The nearest weather station to me online reckons it was below freezing for about 72h with minima of -8C, -10.5C and -9C on the 14th, 15th and 16th and this roughly matches the reading on my car when I set off each morning. Even while still frozen it had drooped considerably and even more so as it melted, of course. I'm hoping the roots survive but it will take until the spring before I'll know how far to cut it back.

Aristaloe aristata is under a shelter, just about. It went out in 2020 and looked fine, other than a bit drawn, at the end of its first winter but not today!

[Mike_K]

I'd have thought that list of nearly 30 would have kept you busy for a while There is a chap on SW Cornwall, Marazion, I think his name is Mike Harvey, who grows an astonishing range of aloes outside. I think he has hybridised lots, too. Might be worth trying to track him down - I've lost touch (need to find him again next year, I think) One thing I would say, I would be surprised if Exeter only went down to -2C, I would have expected it to go a few degrees lower some winters. Still, -2C was the figure mentioned.

Thank you, Paul.
Yes, indeed, it will keep me busy for quite a long time

I travel frequently to Cornwall so would be nice to visit Mike this year. Please send me PM if you have contact to him.

[Mike P]

The A arborescens I had in an unheated greenhouse is now mush following Decembers foggy freeze.Also mauled the tender Salvias I was trying to protect and turned my Eucomis collection to jelly. Ho hum.

[Mike_K]

Only Aloe striatula survived the winter
with no damage at all.
Most of A. Juvenna, A.aristata and Spinossisima turned into
mush

[Paul in Essex]

I think you got off lightly! Aloes were particualrly badly here over this side of the country. What was your low temperature, do you know?

[edds]

My big polyphylla survived and is throwing up a flower stem again this year. The two smaller ones (4.5 and 3.5 years' old) turned to mush though.