Keith,

If we're again lucky, we'll get a picture of a flowering A.p. in California (compliments of Brad) and a Long Island A. p. (compliments of X - yep, he even lets snow fall on them, just like in the Drakensberg).

I'll avoid the questions I know nothing about - I've only killed this species several times, but San Diego isn't the best place for this plant.

2) Let them be - that's how they are

And that's all I have to say - I could write more, but it would be guesses, and the two fellows mentioned above are masters at growing this finicky Aloe.

Welcome aboard.

I know it grows well just below San Francisco,in Pacifica, outside on a patio close to the beach so they get fog, lots of it, it's is in large wooden planter that they start trees in. The larger the box the bigger they will grow. I am talking junbo here 20-24 inches across, you need two of them to pollinate the seeds. Dr. Michael Louie from San Francixco group was growing this huge plant. Norma

This is NOT your typical Aloe.

It is more of a dry sub-alpine or dry alpine plant than a hot desert plant, growing at around 8,000 feet above sea level. So intense light, but cool temperatures. Here it is most successful in the SF area which has cool summers.

Here is a link that might be useful: one take on aloe polyphylla care

Thanks for the advice everyone. Any advice on sunlight, watering and soil given our dry apartment setting? It sounds like I should make sure the soil drains well, and that it is a fairly sturdy plant given its native conditions.

Hi-

Curious...has anyone ever ordered A.p. from Ecoscape? Price and shipping look reasonable...

thanks.

T

I just ordered one from Bigfoot Collections so I'll let you know when it gets here. They grow their plants from seed and they don't coddle them. So it probably won't be big, but I'm hoping it will adapt to my conditions okay.

This is a plant I had to have because I like the look, but it seems it will quickly outgrow its pot if grown right (considering my bad luck with noncacti succulents I should not worry about it getting bigger, just keeping it alive). I'm only at half that elevation, but we do have cool nights even in summer. I won't be able to plant it outside because our winters are long and cold.

Would bottom watering be better for this plant so moisture doesn't get trapped between the "spikes"? I guess you could air "blow dry" it if that happened. Our humidity is pretty low anyway.

Ecoscape has very good quality plants, and they were the original source for this species when it first started to become available in California. I've been to his nursery, and he grows them very well there in Santa Cruz.

I don't think A. polyphylla will make a good long term house plant, but I have no experience growing them indoors. As an outdoor container plant, a bit of water on the foliage when watering is not an issue at all when temps are moderate, winter or summer, but can burn foliage in high heat, and wouldn't be a good idea in winter. The other main thing, is as a container plant, make absolutely sure the roots aren't going to cook from the side of the pot getting superhot from direct sun, keep the roots cool in hot weather. In my experience, if you regularly get above 80F on summer days, it might be best to move this to a morning sun only location, or very bright shade at this time of year. You'll soon recognize if you are cooking the roots, because they leaf tips will start turning brown, and eventually the plant will just collapse.

Indoors, it is going to require very bright light, probably equivalent to being in a greenhouse with light from above and the sides, or it will etiolate. It thrives on night temps in the 40's to 55F range, and daytime temps here of low 60'sF to mid 70'sF, which is what our weather is like here in the SF Bay Area/Berkeley/Oakland/Santa Cruz nearly year round.

Thank you so much for the advice; I think I read somewhere that these don't do well in pots long term, but a heart wants what it wants even if it's not always good for the plant.

Maybe I'll try it outside for the summer with my other tenders. I start all my potted succulents under shade cloth when I take them out in late spring because the sun is more intense here than at sea level. The plants on the outer perimeter of the shade house get early morning, direct sun. Later I move the Trichocereus so they get more light.

I just have to figure out something to raise the humidity for this and the Desert Rose plants. Our summer humidity is extremely low. Hopefully I'll come up with some idea. If anyone else has solved this problem, do share. Would misters work?

Bahia, you nailed it. It grows well in your area, ISI introduced this plant.( believe it is also called the 'Spirel Aloe' it need to get a least 60 leaves before the start to spirel. (I hope that you are very young) The leaves will be very tight together. There is a great picture in the Succulent Flora of Southern Africa and it can take the cold temperatures, even snow. We can't grow this plant well at the Huntington Gardens because we don't have the cold that it needs. I've seen very large old plants in flower and spent hours fertilizing the seed one by one with a brush with another seed grown plant in flower. Good luck, Norma

I forgot to tell you that there was at last count only 45 of these plants left in Africa. They do not like the heat, they grow on rocky hills sides among rocks, the ones come only if they seeds end up in a crack in the rocks, and they love a stream of water coming down produced by the snow when it melts, it is a mountain plant. We grew ours from cuttings, and to get seeds you will need to plants grown from seed.Mister will not work, it needs cool weather. Norma

Notolover,

I know a guy....who had a oak-barrel-sized one, grown from a small plant, in San Diego for many years. It spent most of its day in the shade, but it had a dripper installed into the barrel, giving it a drink each day (or multiple drinks). However, the dripper failed and the plant died (roots too hot).

Thanks for more info...I'm probably not going to have much luck...but at least now I'll know why. Why oh why do I venture into the world of other succulents or try to grow cacti from seed. I should just "stick" with what I sort of know. At least until I retire and have more time.

Norma, I gave up on the mister idea since I couldn't figure out how to hook it up--my water sources are at capacity because of my flower beds.

I have a love/hate relationship with my drip system. When it works it's great, but I've lost a few ornamentals because I didn't figure out the drippers failed until it was too late. I bet that guy in San Diego was very upset.

There is no way this plant will do well indoors at room temp and miserable lighting. Pick another plant that won't be tortured.

They will grow fine in a pot, which would allow you to put it outside in the sun, but the root zone must be kept cool which is not possible in a pot outdoors. I grow mine submerged in the ground, in a pot, so the roots stay cool.

This plant needs direct sun, constant fresh air and cool root temps to grow well. You simply cannot accomplish anything close to that in an apartment.

x

Submerging the pot to keep the roots cool. I like that idea. I bought a 1 gallon and have reupped the pot size twice, so it is growing well in a pot. I put it on my deck exposed to the cold in the Winter (we get below freezing very seldom, but high 30's are common). In summer it is under a maple tree that provides some shade at some periods of the day. I could maybe get it more sun if I submerged the pot...more work for me though, oh goody!
I'm in the Bay Area of CA. Here is mine.
{{gwi:525404}}

This will never happen inside in a container:

{{gwi:525405}}

Brad

That aguy! A picture that, like the Mona Lisa or the Sistine Chapel, gets better with each viewing...

Brad: I will just have to enjoy pictures of your plant, or move somewhere warmer and live a long time--LOL That is a fantastic pic! I was going to post a pic of mine, but now it would just be embarrasing.

X: When you put your pot in the dirt, do you set it at an angle? We do get rain in August sometimes so I don't want it to rot. I have to think of an ideal spot for it. Now I wish I wouldn't have put it in a "good" pot.

Do deer, peacocks or rabbits eat aloe?

Noto,

And that, IMO, isn't even his best picture of the genus / his A.p.s in flower, but you know what opinions are like.

I think they do, once, but Aloes aren't tasty to them, IIRC.

Deep Roots and Brad..Beautiful plants. Very very nice.
Hopefully one day, one of my Aloes will be as beautiful as yours.
Nice Sago,, too...Toni