XGasteraloe 'Royal Highness'
×Gasteraloe 'Royal Highness is an ornamental hybrid succulent in the family Asphodelaceae, belonging to the intergeneric group xGasteraloe — crosses between Gasteria and Aloe. It forms tidy, compact rosettes of thick, dark green leaves heavily peppered with raised white spots and tubercles, a look it inherits from both of its parent genera. Like most named ×Gasteraloe, it is a robust, forgiving houseplant grown for its handsome, patterned foliage rather than its flowers.
Description
'Royal Highness' makes a low, symmetrical rosette of stiff, triangular leaves that are broad at the base and taper to a firm tip. The leaf surface is deep green, often darkening in strong light, and densely marked with pale, slightly raised spots and small tubercles that give the plant a pebbled, high-contrast texture. Leaf margins are typically smooth to finely toothed rather than sharply spined.
Being a hybrid, the plant is often sterile or of low fertility and is grown for its foliage; it clumps steadily by producing offsets around the base, gradually building into a small cluster. When it does bloom, it sends up a slender flower spike bearing tubular flowers intermediate between its parent genera, though flowering is incidental to its appeal as a foliage plant.
Cultivation
Care for 'Royal Highness' follows that of the parent group; see xGasteraloe for a fuller overview. Like most Gasteria–Aloe hybrids, it is undemanding and tolerant, which makes it an excellent beginner's succulent.
Grow it in bright, indirect light or gentle morning sun; the Gasteria parentage means it tolerates lower light better than most aloes, but too much harsh direct sun can scorch or bleach the leaves. Plant in a free-draining mix and water only once the soil has dried out, easing off through the cooler months. It is happy in a snug pot and appreciates occasional repotting as the clump fills its container. Keep it above freezing and protect it from prolonged wet cold, which is the main cause of rot. See Watering for general technique.
Propagation
The easiest and most reliable method is division of the clump or removal of rooted offsets, which come true to the parent plant. Leaf cuttings can sometimes be taken as with Gasteria, though they are slower and less certain; see Propagation — cuttings. Because 'Royal Highness' is a named clone, seed is not used to reproduce it — seedlings would not come true.
Common problems
- Rot — from overwatering or cold, wet conditions; the base or lower leaves soften and discolour.
- Etiolation and pale leaves — too little light stretches the rosette and washes out the spotting; too much fierce sun can bleach or scorch it.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in leaf axils) and the occasional scale insect are the usual visitors. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- xGasteraloe — the hybrid genus overview
- Gasteria · Aloe — the parent genera
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Propagation — offsets · Repotting