Zac,

Look for the Institure for Aloe Studies on the Web - they're practically in your back pocket.

Those three are pretty sweet and not too rare.

Hi Castusmcharris,

You've been very helpful...

I've been on their site. I've noticed they usually carry small-Medium 4"-6" sized pots.

Thanks anyways.

Zac

Zac,

You're looking for large plants of these species at nurseries, right?

I am not saying that they don't exist, but I'm pretty sure they're going to be very difficult to find, so you might do well to start with the small ones and enjoy watching them grow while you look for some Holy Grails.

From little acorns do mighty oaks grow - I'm working on an Aloe version of that.

Cactuscharris,

Yes, I've had relatively good luck locating large plants at nurseries (some even with blooms); but you're right these are hard to come by in big sizes. I don't know why - they seem to be hardy for zone 9b and have unique inflorescence.
But as you said, I should maybe get few smaller ones and enjoy their growth.

Dude, if you're in Berkeley, CA, get thee to the Dry Garden on Shattuck.
Also Orchard Supply Hardware has had A. Aculeata in 5 gallons for 25 bucks at some locations. There's an OSH in Berkeley near the 80 freeway at the exit before the University Ave. exit: sorry, can't remember the exit name and I graduated from UCB...I must be getting old!
Also, you might call around to OSHes in your general area. This chain has had some mighty nice Aloes in 5 gallons lately the like of which I've never seen available before in terms of giant size or cheap price. The OSH in Fremont on Mowry had some nice ones in November.
I got an Aculeata at the Dublin store in October. It is so big it scared the checkout guy! Word.

Thanks deep-root...

I have been to a lot of places looking for these plants. I was at OSH in Pinole, Elceritto and Berkeley just 2 weeks ago. Got a few Barrel cactus at good prices. They all had one gallon aloe Africanas and 5 gallon aloe hereroensis - but didn't see any Aculeatas. Maybe, I should try out the Dublin or Fremont stores and get me one of those scary looking Aculeatas (hopefully, they still have them). Thanks a lot for the suggestion...

By the way, is your Aculeata blooming yet? or is it too small for that?

I have been to Dry Garden numerous times; but the selection is not the greatest at this time; couldn't find any of the above mentioned aloes there either.

P.S. When did you graduate from Berkeley?
I graduated there in 1994.

Thanks again,

Peace,

Zac

Hi Zac: OSH stores began getting the 5 gallon aloes in October, I think. Being absolutely fanatical in my desire to get a nice selection of these 25 dollar bargains, I began hitting all OSHes close to me. Unfortunately, it seemed that each store only got 1 of each of the various species available or only a few of the total selection overall. I visited Dublin, Fremont, Milpitas, Mountain View, Santa Clara, and maybe even a few others. Gilroy and Sunnyvale stores, they didn't have any. Ultimately, I got speciosa, aculeata, heronensis, littoralis, 2 that didn't have any identifying name (one of which is a tree type and another with a similar rosette style which is blooming now...these almost didn't fit in the Toyota) and maybe one other. I know I saw another aculeata somewhere, but since I already had one, I didn't buy it. And who knows, maybe in the Spring they will get another shipment of these. Keep your eyes peeled.
My aculeata is not small. It is a 5 gallon plant and it looks extremely fierce. The leaves are encrusted with sharp bumps and the leaves are maybe 12 inches long. I will be planting my aloes in a new cactus area this Spring...the ground has been prepared. I can't wait for Spring.
Class of 1978. Cheers.

Hi deep-root,

Thanks for the response. I have called around my area and have located littoralis and speciosa and they also seem to carry good number of 5 gallon agaves as well.

Good luck with your spring adventure. Mine also will start about that time.

Let's keep in touch on the progress...

Zac

Zak, what you can't find check out at the Huntington they may have young ones, I just purchased a nice Aloe Suzanne at the Huntington Gardens. Mesa Gardens may have them as well.
Hot Line phone number with permission. Master Gardner Instructor 256 547-7929 Direst Email better luck getting help at Mosasaur47@msn.com Please post this to the group for me, Kenneth Quinn offered. Norma

I was also going to suggest you try OSH. I've seen all of the ones you mentioned except for the petricola there. Lowes stores here carry one gallon reitzii specimens in large quantities for only $5. It's one of their staple plants in the succulent section. I haven't seen any new plants come in lately, but they stock up once spring comes. I would check then. They also carry large Dasyrilion in huge, square, wooden containers, as well as large Dracaena Draco, beucarnea recurvata and agave plants.

It seems that the demand for succulents has gone through the roof with home gardeners and landscapers alike. I don't recall having so many succulents available in large quantities at the big box stores before.

Hi Norma,central_cali369,

Thanks for those references. I will definitely check them out. By the way, I did pick up few 4" pot Reitzii at Annie's Annuals - just drove there and picked up some (of course they don't sell any larger ones).
My next stop would be OSH and later Lowe's; and based on cactusmcharris's recommedation, I think I will order some small ones of different varieties at 'Institute for Aloes Studes".

Zac

No problem Zac! I bought an Aloe Reitzii in a 12 inch pot from Wal-Mart of all places!! They seem to carry them every year now. They were under $20 as well and the rosette completely filled the pot. I would stop by there in the spring or whenever they get their new shipments.

Josh

Thanks Josh

Great find!
Have you seen any blooms on them yet? I believe they're summer bloomers.

Zac

5 gallon sized Aloe reitzii can be ordered in at Berkeley Hort Nursery or the Dry Garden Nursery, as they are being grown by Suncrest Wholesale Nursery down in Watsonville. I've also picked up some large sized 1 gallon Aloe petricola from Brian Kemble out at the Ruth Bancroft Garden, but I don't know of any commercial northern California growers for this species, although it might be worth a call to Succulent Gardens down in Moss Landing to see if they have this in 6 or 8 inch pots, I don't remember if I have seen it there. I bet it is something that might also be available if ordered in from Rancho Soledad Nursery down in San Diego County, but they don't actually list all that they grow on their web site. You might also try talking with Dan or his son at Sunborne Foliage over in San Francisco, as they now carry a good variety of larger specimen sized blooming Aloes that they bring up from Rancho Soledad Nursery, but they don't always have things labeled correctly, so if you go there, it helps to know your Aloes in case it isn't labeled. I picked up some stunning Aloe capitata var. quarzticola from Sunborne last spring, and I was really stoked to get them in full bloom. Flora Grubb Nursery in San Francisco can also have a surprising variety of Aloes shipped up from southern California, so it pays to drop in from time to time. I've had 4 inch sized A. reitzii from Annie's bloom for me two years after planting out in the garden. Regarding Annie's, she often has some less common species, I know I bought a whole flat of her Aloe castanea after seeing them in bloom every February at the UC Berkeley Botanic Garden.

Wow!! Thanks for sharing all that great information.

I've also picked a small Petricola At Ruth. Brian is just an extremely nice and informative guy.
Also picked up few 4" Reitzii at Annie's yesterday; it's good to know that they could bloom within a couple of years.
I did check out Succulent Garden but they do not carry any 5 gallon sizes of these aloes.

You've given me a great list to get started with. I will begin my search with your local resources and then move south.
I will give updates on the progress.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.

Zac

Thought I'd chime in as I've recently acquired all three on your wishlist.
I picked up an Aculeata overflowing its 4" pot at The Dry Garden last wednesday, the 13th. I saw at least three others scattered around the aloe section while I was there.
With any luck, the Home Depot garden center in Emeryville should have 1 gallon Reitziis (blue clone) for about six bucks. I bought one last august, and picked up another for my Dad's garden in late december.
As others have stated, the Ruth Bancroft Garden seems to be the only source for Petricola in the bay area, and would probably be the best place to start your search given Brian Kemble's unparalleled expertise with the genus.
Good luck!

Hi Walksimos,

Thanks for sharing that. Great sources!

OSH update: I was at the Redwood City OSH on my lunch break today. They have more aloes, possibly from the same grower. The difference is the pot size (2 or 3 gallon instead of 5), plant sizes (a little smaller), but the price is still 24.99. And there is no accurate name of aloe type other than "succulent". There was what appeared to be an aculeata (although the color was not a dark green) and another one I don't know what it was, but it had started a bloom spike and I may go back and get that one since I have nothing that looks like it.
Also available were agave attenuata in something close to one gallons for 6.99, which species you don't see for sale here in the North regularly. These need Winter protection in the North...growing in a pot would work fine.
And boy howdy, while I was checking out the cactus section, behold: a flash of light, followed by thunder, and a downpour. Very wet here today in the Bay Area.

Thanks for the update deep_roots.

I can't believe they're actually selling Attenuatas.
I, thought, maybe, they'd bring them out end of winter.

By calling around, I was able to find the following plants; so if anyone's interested - please call beforehand to confirm availability.

OSH locations:
Fremont: One aculeata left 5 gallon
Concord: Spaciosa, lutescens(budding), Dorothea
Pinole: Spaciosa, 10-12" Barrel cactus
San Leandro: Buhrii, aloe hybrid(of some kind), Agave bovicornuta
Berkeley: A. Hereroensis (nice size)
Moraga: A. Lutescens, A. Buhrii, Agave Bovicornuta
San Rafael: All agaves (Americana, Buvicornuta, no aloes)
San Lorenzo: Buhrii 10inch; lots of agaves
So San Fran: Aloe Ciliaris, Dorothea, Hereroensis

Also found that Altmanplants supplies Target, Home Depot and Low's (they do have 2 gallon Reitzii - I believe you could order them thru the chains).

I picked up a very nice size 15 gallon Aloe Plicatilis for $50 at CVS in Oakland; they also had a 15 gallon Aloe Hercules (check to make sure it's still there)- lot's of agaves and cacti...
Also got this via email:
UC Berkeley Botanical
On the Deck: January Sale! Tempting Plants
January Plant Clearance!
Saturday, January 23 - January 31
10:30 am to 4:30 pm

Zac

Zac be sure they will grow in your area. I checked them out in the *Ben-Erol Van Wyk and Gideon Smith Guide to the Aloes of South Africa, Brian would have the correct Identifications on them. If that is important to you. Some of the species that you want have more than one form, A. aculata has no /little stem. A. petricola has restricted distribution, grows with no stem, grows in rocky places, likes sandstone slopes, and granite outcrops.
A. reitzii is terrific it is also a flat grower, rocky slopes in grassland and is my favorite of the three because of the inflorence.
A. reitzii v. vernalis has become critically rare and may be more so at this time. * From Guide to the Aloes of So. Africa. Good luck and have fun serching.
I did not proof this. Norma

Thanks Norma... I need to get those books!