For reference its growing right in the middle of the main rosette pictured here. I don't think its the start of another head so I'm not sure what it is other than possibly the start of a bloom?

Whenever I see funky growth like that on an aloe my first thought is aloe mite. But I don't know how medusa reacts to those little buggers so I could be wrong.

Thanks, should I cut it out or leave it alone? Will aloe mite kill the tree?

No, aloe mite won't kill the tree. It just causes weird growth. It is also known as aloe cancer.

Thanks for the info. How sure are you that its mite? The growth does look strange but I don't see rough edges on the leaves or any other indicators of mite

No sure at all if it's aloe mite. I haven't seen that particular variety's response to the little buggers. Some plants get all warty, some just grow strangely because of the auxin response.

Aloe tongaensis (correct name for Aloe 'Medusa') grows flowers that start out looking just like that.. but that species is also highly susceptible to aloe mite. And aloe mite can indeed kill a tree, though that would be a worst case scenario.. but my friend's Aloe thraskii (8' tall) was killed by a bad case of it.. caused so much damage it weakened the top and just broke off.

here is shot of new flower in my Aloe tongaensis that was infected with aloe mite

and here is a few years earlier before got aloe mite

eventually ended up like this

Lzddr,i reallylike that last picture,very pretty.
Kathi

So not aloe mite. That's a relief.

Those are some crazy aloe flowers on that medusa. I have never seen aloe flowers that started out that frilly.

A couple of the pro growers say you can get rid of aloe mite infection by using systemic insecticide. Any flowers that might develop should be removed so bees don't get poisoned. I got gall mite on my plicatiis and did the systemic treatment. I won't know for a few years, I guess, if it worked or not.

In the meantime I'll remove any flower stems that develop. I wonder how long it will take for the systemic insecticide to not contaminate the flowers.

wow, lots of posts since I was last here. Thanks for the great info and pics.

lzrddr, the flowers now look exactly like they do in that second picture you posted. How long does it take for them to go from that stage to the pink/red stage like you posted in the 3rd picture.

Also, this aloe recently had an aphid infestation that was causing rot up around the top of the stem. I had to cut fairly deep on one side of the stem to remove the rot. Since then it has continued to grow and now flower.

I read your post about the head snapping off your friends aloe due to the mite. Did the head snap off fairly quickly? I'm just wondering if the head will topple off my plant at some point as well and if the rest of the tree will die as a result?

Aloe tongaensis is a lot less top heavy than Aloe thraskii is⦠so unlikely that would ever happen to your tree aloe.

Cool, thanks.

Just curious lzddr, how long have you had your tongaensis? Do you have some pictures of when you first got it and pictures of what it looks like now?

I'm curious to see how much yours has grown over the years. Mine has only been in the ground a few months and I'm just curious of how much growth I can expect over the next few years.

Thanks!

I will upload some tomorrow... but this plant is planted in clay and is pretty slow growing in such lousy soil. But a cutting off it has grown 2.5x the size of this entire plant in just 4 years, so if in good soil, it can grow pretty fast (that cutting was about 2' long- half the height of the original plant at the time), and in just 4 years was a 9' tall plant). this plant started out about 2' tall, and now is about 6' tall (9 years later). I no longer have it (moved out of the house) though. So rate of growth obviously varied a LOT on conditions.

Cool, I look forward to seeing the pictures!

Size of plant about 6 months after purchase

plant 7 years later- minus half the plant which was taken out by a motorcycle that crashed into my yard 4 years earlier

cutting off plant in front back in 2006⦠guess it was only 1 foot tall⦠I remember it being largerâ¦

same plant 6 years later, now taller than the 7' wall behind it (about 9' overall)⦠a bit thin since I had taken numerous cuttings off this plant by this time. This one has never flowered, presumably due to lack of all day sun like plant out front has. This plant only gets about half day sun, and all in the AM to about 1pm. But now finally in sunlight all day long, so you never know⦠Lack of full sun in my overcrowded yard has been a problem with lots of aloes not blooming regularly

Great, thanks for sharing those pics!! Looking good :)

BTW, just a note re: aloe mites. I brought home the little buggers after buying some plants at a very prestigious plant sale. Anyway, I used a rose systemic insecticide that included a miticide, and simple, quick and easy the mites were gone. I treated all my aloes at once and the mites have never returned.

That's the only way to truly get rid of pest. I use it on all my house plants. I don't use it on roses due to killing honey bees. Same goes with any out side plants. Garden or flower bed. I use on my stinky Stapeliads and Huernias which has flies polenate it. (no loss)

Stush

I have Aloedendron tongaensis and it has been over run by mealies despite my regular blasting them off with a sharp spray of water. I think the fact the Aloe is getting more shade from a still growing Ash tree 25-30' away isn't helping. Its the only Aloe I have ever had that has had any pest problem.

I would guess the less then full sun plant skin is thinner and more vulnerable.

sanofh also check for ants which will protect the mealies and "farm" them. that is the typical problem here.

My plicatilis has remained clean of aloe mite since '14, so the systemic appears to have worked--so far.

Hoovb, can you recommend a brand of systematic insectiside for tree aloes?

Thanks

The Bayer 3-in-1 stuff or the Bayer tree and shrub defense stuff, the common stuff from a big box store. The 3-in-1 stuff has the advantage of the fungicide also preventing the Rust infection some Aloes get in wet weather. Not that we've had much wet weather for five years, but last winter my Aloe speciosa had quite an infection. After treatment the new foliage has been flawless.

However it should be noted after application to cut off or cover the flowers for two or three years so systemic-tainted nectar/pollen doesn't kill bees. Here there are lots of bees--carpenter, bumble, honey and California native solitary, so I've been cutting off the flowers on the plicatilis since treating it. Plicatilis the attraction isn't really the flowers anyway. I'm unsure how long the systemic stays in the plant, but because of the large bee population have a preference not to chance it.

My strategy has become to either buy seed-grown small aloes, less likely to be infected, or buy them very small and immediately treat with systemic; by the time small seedlings are large enough to bloom the systemic should not be in the flower pollen/nectar.

Hoovb, Not 100% sure but I understand it wares off in less than one year. So the bottle of Bonide saids. It depends on how strong of an application was given maybe. Best to play safe like what you are doing.

Sure enough. I just watered the A.tongaensis with the Bayer (I have had it for a couple of years for indoor plants) and ANTS came running up the trunks.

Just last week I took control of the front yard back from Vinca major- why I never saw ants at the base of the tree Aloe and other junk plants.

Shoot, the whole growing season has gone by too. The only positive is none of the Aliodendrons branches or tips died.

The Bayer has worked perfect on indoor mites and thrips. Mealys might be harder to vanquish.

The Bayer claims its only dangerous for 6 months. After that you can eat the vegetables. Not me!

Hoovb, how many times of treating them is sufficient enough to kill the mite?

Thanks