Gonialoe variegata (Aloe variegata)

Gonialoe variegata (Aloe variegata)

Family: Aloaceae

Common names: Common Partridge Aloe, Kaniedood.

This smaller aloe grows to 25cm tall and forms rosettes, sometimes solitary but often clustered, with leaves arranged in 3 ranks that are upright with a boat-hull shape (lanceolata-deltoid) that have a distinct gutter down the middle. The leaf margins have tiny blunt white teeth along the entire length and are a white color that stands out well against the dark green color of the leaf, which also has short longitudinally-arranged white spots on upper and lower surfaces that often line up in horizontal bands, giving this plant the common name of Tiger Aloe. The spots are also said to resemble those on a partridge breast, which gives this plant its most used common name. The plant will get red highlights that turn the deep green to a more brown color when the plant is drought stressed. The pink to pale red flowers appear on short, stout, and sometimes branched inflorescences.

Sowing instructions: Seeds germinate very well but may damp off if over-watered. Use a mixture of river sand, compost and soil to sow seeds in. Sprinkle the seeds evenly on the surface and cover with a layer of small pebbles. The pebbles help the seedlings to stay upright and prevent damping off. Keep seed tray in a dry warm corner and do not allow to dry out. Transplant the seedlings after one year.

Locality: Calitzdorp. Harvest: February 2024