I will be posting about these incredible beings from time to time, as I know I am by no means alone in my insanity and there is often a dearth of people to consult in one's immediate vicinity; having learned a lot from many online sources I feel it behoves to give back a wee bit. It's also our good fortune to have obtained a copy of Aloes the Definitive Guide (Carter, Lavranos, Newton, Walker; Kew) and thus we have an impeccable contemporary source to quote from into the bargain.
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Anyhoo, let us begin with one of the many species coming into flower with the cooler weather.
Aloe Gilbertii is a large (to 150cm) shrubby number branching from the base in a more or less upright manner, producing huge, tiered flower stems exceeding a metre high in come cases. I'd say mine is approaching that though it is still a young plant. Leaves are quite deeply recurved with a smooth matte texture, the odd pale spot (sometimes) and I'd call them a medium lizard green with the suggestion of glaucous bloom, especially in a sheltered specimen. Flowers are red and green, almost like a gasteria's whilst in development, ripening to bright crimson.
Hailing from acacia scrub and highland hillsides in Ethiopia at up to 1400m in altitude, I have found it unfussy, at least here, where conditions are probably quite similar to its native clime; I grow it outside
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I bring all but my hardiest aloes under cover during wet weather in winter; we don't really get down to fatal temps here, seldom nearing 0C, but cold plus wet is broad-spectrum killer to be avoided if at all possible. I suspect Gilbertii would be perfectly fine if planted out kindly but don't intent to risk it until I have a back up underway. All in all, a very promising plant relatively new to cultivation with some lovely features. Try it if you can find it: I believe suckers and tissue culture pups are becoming available from specialty nurseries.
Céili O'Keefe.