Aloe plicatilis in the Worcester Botanic Garden, South Africa
| Issue 9:1 | THE CACTUS PATCH | January 2006 |
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Aloe plicatilis : The Fan Aloeby Chuck Staples Mid-Iowa C&SS I love this plant with the smooth trunk bark and the flat leaves. Aloe plicatilis can grow from a tall shrub to a small tree in its natural habitat on rocky slopes in western Cape Province of South Africa. It can be grown in a pot for a good number of years and is a nice addition to one's collection of succulent plants. With a few years of age the plant branches dichotomously (forked in two equal branches). A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT THIS PLANT SPECIES It has been suggested that this plant was first discovered in 1658 by Pieter Potter along the Roode Zands mountains in the Cape region of South Africa. It wasn't until about 1695 that a Latin name was given to this plant by Heinrich Bernhard Oldenland (1663-1697) who was the master gardener and superintendent at the Dutch East India Company garden in the Cape Town region of South Africa -- and what a name it was – Aloe africana arborescens montana non spinosa folio longissimo, plicatili, flore rubro. This name was first included in print in volume 2 of the book 'Hortus Amstelaedamensis' that was the primary work of Johannes Commelijn (1629-1692) and printed in 1701 by his nephew, Casparus Commelijn (1668-1731). The long Latin descriptive name is now called a pre-Linnaeus name since it was used before Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) set up his simplified binomial (genus & specific epithet) system of naming plants in 1753. Known early on as the 'Fan Aloe', C. Linnaeus gave this plant species the varietal name Aloe disticha var. plicatilis in 1753. It was upgraded to its current species name, Aloe plicatilis, in 1768 by Philip Miller (1691-1771).
Some notes on growing Fan Aloe in Bakersfield: Fan Aloe is large but slow and does very well in a big pot. It can be grown in the ground if you are careful as to the watering and exposure. It is a winter grower and likes to be watered in late Fall through Spring. Summer is a resting period, so do not soak it when the weather is hot. During the summer, some of the leaves may turn black at the tips, especially if the plant receives afternoon sun. I have two cuttings from my plant -- one I will be donating to the Cal State garden when there is a suitable site for it, and the other I will bring to the January meeting for some lucky member to win in the raffle. Stephen Cooley |
Aloe plicatilis in the Worcester Botanic Garden, South Africa |
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The Succulent Garden at Cal State by Linda Cooley Who Is Bruce & Why Is He Sending Me Letters? A Letter from Bruce Hargreaves Aloe plicatilis: The Fan Aloe by Chuck Staples |
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