Garden Aloes

Aloe plicatilis

Also Known As: Aloe plicatilis, Kumara plicatilis, Fan Aloe, Cape Quivertree, Kaapse Kokerboom

Category: Branching Aloes

USDA Hardiness Zones: 9b-11

Overview

Kumara plicatilis, formerly Aloe plicatilis, the fan-aloe, is a multi-branching shrub with highly textural gray bark endemic to a few mountains of the Western Cape in South Africa. With it's distinctive textural gray bark, fan-like clusters of leaves and branching stems, Aloe plicatilis is one of the most unique and striking of all of the aloes.

Description

It may grow as a large multi-stemmed shrub or as a small tree. The stems are forked with clusters of strap-shaped leaves arranged in 2 opposite rows. It is a slow growing species with thick branching stems slowly growing 5-6 ft. tall and as wide. Exceptional large specimens in cultivation have been noted to 8 feet tall by 6 feet wide and plants from the wilds of the high winter rainfall areas of western Cape Mountains of South Africa are reportedly as tall as 15 feet. Old leaves drop cleanly away to expose the attractive smooth trunk. Trunks are thickened and gnarly in appearance with corky, fire-resistant bark. the branches fork into pairs without a central leader, a pattern known as 'dichotomous' branching. The branches bear masses of succulent, oblong, tongue-shaped leaves arranged in 2 opposite rows in the shape of a fan. The leaves are tightly clustered at the tips of the branches, with each branch producing one to two dozen leaves or so. The distinctive fan-like leaf clusters makes this species unique. The leaves are pale grey-green in color and have tiny teeth along the margins that are noticeable only on close inspection. The leaves are dusted with a thin waxy 'bloom' which gives them an attractive, frosted appearance. In strong light, the leaf margins may take on a pinkish blush. Leaves of Kumara plicatilis may grow to just over a foot in length, and to just under 2 inches wide at their widest. The leaf sap is clear. Even at a very small size (either a seedling, or a rooted cutting of a single fan) this is a very attractive plant. Kumara plicatilis is slow growing, so it will not quickly outgrow its allotted space, but with time, it will branch and re-branch, eventually growing into a good sized specimen plant.

Flowering

The inflorescence of Aloe plicatilis is an erect 12 to 20 inch tall, un-branched raceme bearing cluster of tubular orange-red flowers in late winter to early spring. At the end of winter the plants appear to burst into flames as they suddenly produce masses of bright flowers. The racemes are cylindrical in shape. There are up to 30 tubular, scarlet flowers, each about 50 mm long and somewhat fleshy in texture. Aloe plicatilis blooms are loved by hummingbirds.

Origin / History

This plant was previously called Aloe plicatilis. This aloe comes from the winter rainfall Western Cape where it can be found growing on steep, rocky slopes in well-drained soil that are typically acidic and found in association with other fynbos vegetation such as ericas and plants in the protea family. To correct this the plant was renamed by Philip Miller in 1768 using Linnaeus' varietal name for its specific one - this name from the Latin word ' plicatilis' meaning 'foldable' is in reference the fan-shaped rosettes. Kumara plicatilis derives its common name fan-aloe from its former placement in the genus Aloe and the unusual distichous arrangement of its linear leaves.

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Care / Cultivation

It needs a sunny but cool and well-aerated (breezy) spot. As this plant grows on steep slopes in habitat, it requires very porous soil with excellent drainage. It is also best protected from the hot afternoon sun, particularly if it is in a container. In cultivation it should be grown in a slightly acidic soil medium with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Prune dead flower heads when needed, usually in early summer. If flower stalks have dried out, they can usually be removed by pulling rather than needing to use a hand pruner Needs winter and spring irrigation if grown where it does not receive adequate water from rainfall. In cooler regions, where this plant will not survive winter temperatures, it is best to grow this species as a potted plant, which ideally, should be moved outdoors during the warmer months to benefit from exposure to bright light, and rains, and moved back indoors when temperatures approach freezing.

Frost Tenderness

Growers in California and Arizona report that the fan aloe will survive temperatures to as low as about 24 degrees Fahrenheit, but recommend that plants should be protected from frost as much as possible.

Use in the Garden

Kumara plicatilis makes a wonderful feature in any garden and is an excellent accent plant. As such it is increasingly used as an ornamental plant for drought tolerant landscaping and rockeries. However it grows very slowly and consequently, outside of its natural habitat, it is often in danger of being overgrown, smothered and killed by faster growing plants in its vicinity. It also makes an attractive pot plant. In regions of the world which are frost free, or nearly so, this species is sometimes grown as a garden ornamental. This species attracts birds and provides pleasing winter time color.

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Learn More

The information on this page about Aloe plicatilis has been gathered and summarized from the sources below. Visit these pages to learn more.

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