Aloe plicatilis
| Light | Bright light to full sun; tolerates some afternoon shade |
|---|---|
| Water | Regular in the cool growing season; keep drier in hot summer dormancy |
| Soil | Fast-draining, gritty mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Best kept above freezing; hardy to roughly USDA zones 9b–11 |
| Propagation | Cuttings (primary); seed |
| Toxicity | Generally regarded as low-toxicity; keep out of reach of pets and children |
Aloe plicatilis, now formally placed as Kumara plicatilis, is a slow-growing branching tree aloe from the winter-rainfall region of the Western Cape of South Africa. It is unmistakable for its grey-green, strap-shaped leaves, which are held in a flat, two-ranked fan rather than the usual rosette — a habit that gives it the common name fan aloe. Mature plants develop a thick, forking trunk with smooth grey bark, so that an old specimen looks like a miniature branching tree topped with tidy fans of foliage.
Description
Kumara plicatilis grows into a rounded, much-branched shrub or small tree, in time reaching a few metres tall. The stems fork repeatedly, each branch ending in a single flat fan of leaves. The leaves themselves are soft grey-green to bluish, tongue-shaped with rounded tips and smooth margins, and are arranged in one plane in two opposite rows — the distichous ("fan") arrangement that sets this species apart from nearly all other aloes, which form spiralled rosettes.
In late winter and spring the fans send up unbranched flower spikes bearing tubular scarlet to orange-red flowers, which are attractive to sunbirds. The smooth grey, corky bark of the older trunks is fire-resistant, an adaptation to the fynbos habitat where periodic fires sweep through.
Distribution and habitat
The fan aloe is endemic to a limited area of the mountains of the southwestern Western Cape in South Africa, where it grows on rocky slopes within fynbos vegetation. This is a winter-rainfall climate: cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. As a result the plant does most of its growing in the cooler months and tends to rest through the heat of summer — the reverse of many summer-growing succulents, and a useful thing to remember when watering.
Its natural range is fairly restricted, and wild populations depend on the fire-adapted fynbos ecosystem. Having formerly been classified in Aloe, it remains covered by the CITES Appendix II listing that applies to the aloes; garden-grown, nursery-propagated plants are widely available and are the responsible source for collectors.
Cultivation
Kumara plicatilis is one of the more rewarding tree aloes for a pot or a mild-climate garden, though it is slow. Grow it in a very free-draining, gritty mix in bright light or full sun; good light keeps the fans compact and the grey colour strong. Because it is a winter grower, water fairly regularly through autumn, winter and spring while it is in active growth, and ease off during hot, dry summer weather when the plant naturally rests. As always with succulents, let the mix dry appreciably between waterings and never let the roots sit wet and cold at the same time.
It is not frost-hardy in any real sense, so in cold climates grow it in a container that can be moved under cover, or in a bright frost-free greenhouse. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
The fan aloe is usually propagated from cuttings — a fork or branch tip can be removed, the cut surface allowed to callus for several days, and then set in a gritty mix to root. It can also be grown from seed, though seedlings are slow to reach any size. See Propagation — cuttings and Propagation — seed for full walkthroughs.
Common problems
- Rot — the commonest cause of loss, almost always from overwatering, poor drainage, or water sitting in the fans during cold weather.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the growth soft, stretched and greener than the natural grey, and loosens the neat fan habit.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff tucked into the leaf bases) and scale are the usual offenders; watch also for aloe mite. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Aloe — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Propagation — cuttings · Propagation — seed · Pests and diseases