Description
Aloe cooperi (Aloaceae) Cooper’s Aloe (e), IsiPutumane (z). Very hardy, stemless Aloe with long, narrow, yellow-green leaves arranged in a fan shape and distinctively keeled with white spots beneath. It has spikes of apricot colored, tubular flowers from mid to late summer. It grows solitary or in small groups and thrives in a variety of soil types and unusually for an Aloe, grows in marshy places. It is also very frost tolerant and grows in cold areas. The flowers and leaves can be cooked and eaten. A lovely garden plant and a beautiful addition to a grassland or marsh area. Size 40 to 50cm. Sowing: Sow seeds in summer. Sow seed in a seedling growth media mixture of sifted potting soil and river sand (1:1). Treat the seed mixture with fungicides to prevent damping-off which is a common problem when growing aloes from seed. Seedlings should be planted in small pots using sandy well drained soil. Locality: Ex Hort. Harvest: May 2023
