Garden Aloes

Aloe scobinifolia

Also Known As: Somalian Aloe

Category: Single Head Stemless Aloes

USDA Hardiness Zones: 9b - 11

Overview

Aloe scobinifolia is a small, stemless Aloe from Somalia with rough (sort of like shark skin), upright and unbendable, toothless leaves of a dull, pale olive-green.

Description

Aloe scobinifolia is a slow-growing stemless and mostly solitary plant to 2 feet tall by 4 feet wide. The rosettes are open and composed of sword-shaped, pale-green, rugose leaves. The Aloe scobinifolia leaves curve slightly upwards and have smooth margins. Plants are usually clustering to form small groups and leaves upright and often curved laterally all in one direction or another. Seedlings are lightly spotted and more lime green in color than adult plants. Memorable also for the pale, almost albino quality to the leaves. Doubly so because the leaves are smooth, spineless.

Flowering

The flowers of Aloe scobinifolia appear in late summer to early fall on once-branched inflorescences with the flowers in dense capitate heads at the tips. The flowers are brilliant red to orange-yellow in nearly flat, horizontally oriented racemes.

Origin / History

It comes from near Erigavo near the Gulf of Aden in the Sanaag region of Somaliland. The name comes from the Latin words 'scobina' meaning a 'rasp' and 'folia' meaning 'leaves' in reference to the rough texture of the surface of the leaves that gives this plant its unusual dull gray-green coloration. Lives in areas of sparse vegetation and very low rainfall, but at altitudes up to 5000 feet.

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Care / Cultivation

Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate occasionally to very little.

Frost Tenderness

Hardiness is not known for this plant that comes from an area that rarely gets very cold.

Use in the Garden

Learn about uses for Aloes in the garden.

Learn More

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

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