Aloiampelos striatula
| Light | Full sun to bright light; tolerates a little shade |
|---|---|
| Water | Moderate in growth, drier in winter; avoid waterlogged soil (see Watering) |
| Soil | Free-draining gritty mix; tolerates ordinary garden soil if drainage is good (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | One of the hardiest aloes; withstands frost and even light snow — roughly USDA zone 8 (to around −10 °C), and colder still in a sheltered, sharply drained spot |
| Propagation | Stem cuttings (very easy); also seed |
| Toxicity | Species-specific data are limited; as a former Aloe it is best treated like other aloes, which can cause vomiting or digestive upset if eaten, so keep it away from nibbling pets and children |
Aloiampelos striatula is a bushy, shrub-forming climbing aloe from the mountains of South Africa and neighbouring Lesotho, and one of the most cold-hardy of all aloes. It builds up a mound of slender, sprawling stems clothed in glossy, recurved green leaves with fine darker-green stripes along the stems and leaf sheaths, and carries cheerful spikes of yellow to orange flowers in summer. Formerly classified as Aloe striatula, it belongs to the small climbing-aloe genus Aloiampelos and is widely grown as a hardy aloe in temperate gardens where few other aloes survive.
Description
Aloiampelos striatula is a many-stemmed, scrambling shrub that can reach around a metre or more — sometimes to about 2 m — in height and spread, forming a loose, arching mound over time. The stems are slender and flexible, and as they lengthen they tend to lean and sprawl — the "climbing" habit that gives the genus its name — often rooting where they touch the ground.
The leaves are narrow, tapering and gently recurved, glossy deep green, edged with small white teeth, and spaced along the stems rather than packed into a tight rosette as in many other aloes. Their most distinctive feature is the leaf sheath, which is marked with fine dark-green striations (the source of the name striatula). In summer the plant produces upright spikes of tubular yellow to orange flowers held above the foliage, which are attractive to bees and other pollinators.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to South Africa and Lesotho, ranging from the Eastern Cape highlands into the southern Free State and Lesotho, where it grows in rocky, mountainous grassland at relatively high elevation. This upland origin, within the winter snow belt and with cold winters and occasional frost and snow, is what gives A. striatula its exceptional hardiness compared with lowland and desert aloes. In habitat it roots among rocks and slopes with sharp drainage and open exposure.
Cultivation
Aloiampelos striatula is one of the easiest aloes to grow and by far the most forgiving of cold, which has made it a favourite for temperate and even marginal gardens. Give it full sun and, crucially, sharp drainage: it copes with ordinary garden soil far better than most aloes provided the ground does not stay wet, and it is winter wet, not cold alone, that usually kills it. In a sheltered, free-draining position it will shrug off frost that would destroy a typical climbing aloe relative, and established plants can be grown outdoors year-round in surprisingly cool climates.
In containers, use a gritty, free-draining mix, water moderately through the growing season, and keep it much drier over winter. The sprawling stems may need a little support or space to lean; plants grown in too much shade become lax and flower poorly. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Propagation could hardly be simpler. Stem cuttings root very readily: take a length of stem, allow the cut end to callus for a few days, and set it in a gritty mix — pieces that have already begun rooting along a sprawling stem establish almost immediately. The plant can also be raised from seed, though cuttings are quicker and keep the parent's form. See Propagation — cuttings for a full walkthrough.
Common problems
- Rot — the main risk, caused by wet, poorly drained soil, especially over a cold winter; keep drainage sharp and the crown dry in the cold months.
- Lax, floppy growth — too little light makes the stems stretch and sprawl untidily and reduces flowering; move to a brighter, sunnier spot.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in leaf axils) and scale are the usual offenders under glass; see Pests and diseases.
See also
- Aloiampelos — the climbing-aloe genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — cuttings · Repotting · Pests and diseases