Aloe variegata
| Light | Bright light with some direct sun; a few hours of gentle morning sun suits it well |
|---|---|
| Water | Water when the mix has dried, mainly through the cooler autumn-to-spring growing months; keep much drier during the summer rest and never leave it standing wet |
| Soil | Gritty, fast-draining mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; USDA zones 9–11 |
| Propagation | Offsets (primary); seed |
| Toxicity | Mildly toxic to cats and dogs if ingested |
Aloe variegata — now more correctly Gonialoe variegata — is a small, stemless South African succulent known as the tiger aloe or partridge-breast aloe. It forms a compact rosette of stiff, V-shaped triangular leaves arranged in three neat overlapping ranks, each leaf a dark green boldly banded and spotted with irregular bands of white, giving the plant its distinctive mottled, tiger-striped look.
Long one of the most popular windowsill aloes, it has been shifted by botanists out of Aloe proper and into the small genus Gonialoe, but growers and the horticultural trade still very widely know it under its old name.
Description
Gonialoe variegata is a dwarf, clump-forming succulent that typically stays under about 25 cm tall. The fleshy leaves are triangular in cross-section, keeled beneath, and stacked in three vertical rows that spiral only slightly, giving the rosette a tidy, almost architectural symmetry. Each leaf is dark green, marbled and cross-banded with white blotches, and edged with a fine pale, minutely toothed margin rather than the fierce spines of many larger aloes.
In late winter and spring mature plants send up a slender branched flower spike bearing loose clusters of tubular flowers in dull pink to salmon-red, which are attractive to sunbirds in habitat. Older plants slowly produce offsets around the base, gradually building into a small cluster.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to the arid interior of southern Africa, across the Karoo and Namaqualand regions of South Africa and into southern Namibia. It grows in dry scrub and on stony ground, often tucked into the light shade of nurse shrubs or among rocks, where its banded colouring helps it blend into the dappled, gritty surroundings. Rainfall in its range is low and largely seasonal, and the plant is adapted to long dry spells.
Cultivation
Gonialoe variegata has a reputation for being a little more temperamental than the average aloe, largely because it resents both overwatering and a stuffy, airless spot. Grow it in a gritty, very free-draining mix in a pot only a little larger than the rosette, and give it bright light with a few hours of gentle sun; too little light dulls the markings and loosens the tight leaf arrangement.
Reflecting its winter-rainfall origins, growth is concentrated in the cooler, moister months, so water fairly regularly through autumn, winter and spring whenever the mix has dried, and ease right off during the hottest part of summer, when the plant rests. (Some growers instead treat it as a warm-season grower and keep it driest in mid-winter; either way, the constant is that it must never sit wet.) Good air movement and careful watering are the keys to avoiding rot — see Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
The easiest method is by offsets: mature clumps produce small pups at the base that can be separated once they have a few roots of their own and potted up individually. Allow any cut surface to dry for a day or two before potting to reduce the risk of rot.
The species can also be raised from seed sown on a gritty surface and kept warm and lightly moist, though seedlings are slow. Fresh seed germinates most reliably.
Common problems
- Rot — the most frequent cause of loss, usually from overwatering, a slow-draining mix, or watering during the summer rest; the plant softens and browns at the base.
- Loss of markings and floppy growth — a sign of too little light; move the plant somewhere brighter to restore firm, well-coloured leaves.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in the leaf axils) and, less often, scale and root mealybugs. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Aloe — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Propagation - offsets · Propagation - seed · Pests and diseases