Aloe albiflora

Aloe albiflora

Family: Aloaceae

Native to Madagascar. A small stemless aloe that suckers to form small clumps with rosettes of up to 10 narrow dark gray green leaves that have a rough texture, are liberally white spotted and with narrow cartilaginous margins fringed with tiny white teeth. In greenhouse and warm winter climates it can bloom freely throughout the year but typically it flowers in the fall when an unbranched inflorescence rises holding bell shaped translucent white flowers that have slightly reflexed petals with a green central stipe on the underside and a blush of pink near the base, particularly in the unopened buds.

Sowing instructions: Fill a pot with a moist, gritty, loam-based compost, or cacti compost. Gently firm down and level the surface. Scatter your cactus seeds over the surface, taking care not to sow them too thickly. Gently sprinkle a thin layer of vermiculite or fine grit over the seeds, covering the whole surface of the compost. Leave the pot in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill, covered with a clear plastic bag to preserve soil moisture. Seedlings will develop within a few weeks. Remove the plastic bag and water when the compost becomes dry, but spray the surface with water regularly, to keep it moist.

Locality: Ex Hort. Harvest: November 2024