you can do it!

buy 3 instead of 1!

i bet all 3 will live then : D

like anyone heres gunna say, "dont get more plants"

HA

If you cannot keep the roots cool at all times, don't bother.

The last one died because I was working 12-16 hour days and I wasn't giving it the attention it needed. Those horrible hours will start up again soon. I'm so glad I grow cacti because they don't need so much care that time of year.

I could take it to work, but I'm already planning on starting some seeds there. I don't think my manager will appreciate it if I transform my tiny office into a mini nursery.

I just love the way that particular Aloe looks, but I think you have to have the right conditions for it. Too bad there's not a small version....maybe someone will work on that. Keeping the roots cool would only be a problem in summer, but it would be a great problem indeed.

Your climate is a probably a death sentence for this species. If you've read up on what this plant prefers, you'd know that high deserts just get too hot to keep it happy. It does reasonably well along the California coast where it never cooks in the heat, but even in places here in the San Francisco Bay Area that regularly get above 80F in summer, it can have problems with cooking the roots. It is more difficult to grow well in southern California except nearer to the coast.

Thanks for the words of encouragement, but I think I will follow the voices of reason. I needed that written kick in the pants to prevent buying a plant and putting it in far from ideal conditions.

I would like to see some Aloe p. growing in a public garden on my next trek to the coast. Does anyone know of a location in Northern or Central California?

I'm hoping to go to Washington/Oregon coast next fall, but I'm thinking that it's probably too cold for them up there.

Hi Noto,

If it's the spiral look that you like so much, what a Haworthia limifoilia? It has a similar & beautiful spiral & requires very little care, really. If I can grow it well in a NYC apartment, I'll guess you'll do fine w/ it in Calif., outdoors.

Thanks Pirate Girl--that is really super cute! I'll be on the look out for it.

It's amazing how many Aloes there are when you start looking.

Sorry for the typos, that's Haworthia limifolia.

I'm going to try to post pix the older way, so as to do multiples at one post. I was so intent on it above, I forgot to finish reviewing the text for errors, sorry.

Perhaps a bit less exotic, but I think just as beautifully spiralled.

Here it is several yrs. go after I'd just removed her pups.

{{gwi:88107}}

Here's the pix showing her spiral to best effect. I think this is just so incredibly cool. I have loved this plant from early in growing succulents; I regard it as living sculpture.

{{gwi:88108}}

Here it was as I found it at a BBS full of pups, rather a mess, but I recognized what it was immediately.

I misread your 1st post stating it was a Haworthia (speed reading with no comprehension so thanks for so many pics!)

I've already been "window" shopping and I found an Aloe "orange marmalade" that I'm going to get as well; then I may as well order a few more E. hybrids while I'm at it :-) and I still won't be spending as much as if I would have if I purchased that Aloe p. I saw.

You not only inspired me--you saved me some money.

Question: How old is your mother plant?

If you want the trick to keeping it living long and prospering, I'll pass one along - have a dedicated mister that delivers it once a day (and twice when it's really warm). And of course the pot in a location that gets some sun, but not full. The post from this guy who regularly gets his A. p.s to flower, although not in flower in the link there (I can't find it, but some assiduous searching no doubt would), indicates to me the ideal place is somewhere near the California Bay Area, perhaps at least partially duplicating its habitat in the Drakensberg in Lesotho. So you'll have to make your microclimate a simulation of there or there.

Brad, we miss you.

Wait 'till you see it with flowers and hummingbirds dancing around it in their greens and rubys, but here's another shot of it - I still cannot find those pictures of it in flower.
{{gwi:484838}}

I have 2 Aloe polyphylla that are about 6 inches across, they seem to be doing fine in my zone 6(Washington state)...I'm thinking since it's a cold hardy aloe, that it should do fine in this zone... I also hope to someday see it big and have those beautiful spirals, I've had mine about 6 months and they have grown alot over the summer but it doesn't have much of a noticeable spiral yet...

I just really hate it when you love a plant so much and it doesnt do well for you and/or die....but I think you should try again if you really want this plant, I know I have a few plants I'm gonna try again.

-FPT

p.s. I've also heard that A.polyphylla should be buried/potted at an angle so it has less of a chance of rotting...I may try that...

FPT,

True with any rosette-style plant / other Aloe, too, but for the particular species mentioned, if it's a potted plant, that also allows for the plant's roots to be cooler than they would be if the pot's not partially buried.

These get big dont they?
Too big for a houseplant?

WRT to Aloes, no, they don't and yes they do - it all depends on your perspective (Aloe descoingsii through Aloe barberae). I don't know about a housplant - I wouldn't try to grow it as a houseplant. I suppose some intrepid soul could try it - shouldn't be too hard - but I've not known any of that crowd.

Well when I say houseplant I mean more like windowsill plant. Have had a fair few aloes, all indoors.

They seem to love our SF Bay Area conditions, and I've planted out dozens of them in client's gardens and have yet to lose one. They do get big with time, between 2.5 to 3 feet across. There are some nice big examples of them at the University of California at Berkeley Botanic Garden on African hill, and also at San Francisco Botanic Garden. The one in my photo is in a front garden in the Oakland hills, there are more photos of them elsewhere in this same garden with lots more succulents.

I've had friends who are experienced growers with other succulents who tried growing them just the other side of the bay in Atherton, where they didn't appreciate the extra summer heat at all, and fried their roots, even though they were in the ground. I haven't had issues with them rotting from too much water collecting on the foliage, but I do try to plant them at a slight angle or on slopes in general.

Here is a link that might be useful: Aloe polyphylla

I planted three small ones last fall, and only one has managed to survive. I am in the San Joaquin valley and our Summers are very long and very hot (upwards of 110 for Weeks on end). The sole survivor is in the shadiest part of the yard, tucked near the north of a large boulder. It also has accumulated a thick layer of dead and decaying leaves from a large locust tree nearby. Good luck with your plants if you do decide to try one again!

Our summers are much shorter and cooler than the San Joaquin valley, but it is a very harsh environment in its own way. If I do decide to get another one--and that's a big if--you have all helped me a lot in realizing the care it will need in my conditions.

Thanks Bahia for the locations to check out some nice plantings. We are planning a trip to Berkeley sometime in June so that will be perfect.

Maybe i should just enjoy the pics like I do with a saguara and leave it at that :-)

This one has been outside with rain protection in the winter for several years now. It's not as pristine or as gorgeous as Brad's polyphylla, but it doesn't look too bad given it's outside year round in the great white north. Actually, it was flawless until last winter, and I'm not sure what happened because it was a relatively moderate one temperature-wise.

"The last one died because I was working 12-16 hour days and I wasn't giving it the attention it needed. Those horrible hours will start up again soon."

Man, I know how you feel. My job's only get an eight hour work day, but add in an hour for lunch and two and half hours spent either in commute time or waiting on the bus, not to mention a lot of background stress from other things, and taking care of plants ended up being the /last/ thing on my mind.

Slowly working on reviving my plants that I neglected for the latter half of the summer. Think all but the few I lost during the derecho/power outage/heat wave combination this summer should be fine, although not necessarily great looking.