ALOE ACULEATA RED HOT POKER ALOE, WHITE THORN ALOE SEEDS IN PORT ELIZABETH

Aloe aculeata is easily identified from other similar species by the noticeable tuberculate spines on the leaves. Aloe aculeata has been featured in a now discontinued South African nickel 10 cent coin. The common names Ngopanie, Sekope, Red Hot Poker Aloe and White Thorn Aloe have been recorded. The specie name 'aculeata' refers to the tuberculate spines on the leaves. Aloe aculeata can be found in quite a few areas in the Northern Province and in the extreme northern parts of Mpumalanga and it also extends into Zimbabwe. Aloe aculeata is found in rocky areas in grassland and open bush veld. It forms a stemless Aloe with a single rosette up to 1 meter high and wide. The leaves of Aloe aculeata are long and quite broad at the base, 120mm wide, and are dull-green in colour. The leaves are curved inward which gives the rosette a rounded appearance. The leaf-margins are armed with reddish-brown triangular teeth. More about the Aloe genus below. Aloes are very popular and some of the most rewarding plants to cultivate. They make excellent accent plants owing to their often strange and inspiring architectures, as well as the bright flowers that offset the grey-green leaves. They are also very suitable as container plants and small aloes can be used very effectively as border plants at the edge of a bed. Although aloes are most often included in rockeries, their application in horticulture is not limited to this feature and they can be used in almost any setting and in conjunction with most common garden plants. Their natural adaptation to harsh and often arid climates makes aloes outstanding subjects for the water-wise garden. Aloes can tolerate long periods of drought, but it is not true that watering should be withheld to obtain optimal growth. Stressed plants are more susceptible to insects and pests. Plants flourish, flower better and are more resistant when given adequate water during the growing season. However, be very cautious not to overwater aloes because they may rot if they stay wet for too long. Adequate drainage is essential. Plant smaller aloes in raised beds and only water them when the top 5cm of soil has dried. Even though there are some species that are challenging to grow, most of the aloes are easy and can readily be grown just about any place in the country. Aloes generally need soils with good drainage and do best in warm climates. When planted in rich soil that are frequently mulched they will do well for many years without interference making them very low-maintenance plants once established. Aloe is a genus in the Asphodeloideae family containing about 600 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera. The genus is mostly native to Africa with about 125 being indigenous to South Africa. About 405 species can be found in Africa while about 45 species are found in the Arabian Peninsula. Socotra has 4 natural species and the Mascarene and other Western Indian Ocean Islands share about 7 species. Madagascar, for its size, has a pretty extensive collection of about 145 species. Aloes are sometimes confused with Agaves. Contrarily to Agaves, Aloe leaves contain a gel like sap. Another difference is that Aloes don't die after blooming as most Agaves do. For an extensive list of documented Aloe species please see this Wikipedia page.