Garden Aloes

Aloe suzannae

Category: Large Clumping Aloes

USDA Hardiness Zones: 9b - 11

Overview

Aloe suzannae is a slow growing tree aloe to 8 to 12 feet that stays solitary or has few branches near the base with age. It is a relatively rare species that has recently become much more available in cultivation. This species from the dense scrubland of southern Madagascar and produces a large, usually solitary trunk to 4 meters tall.

Description

Aloe suzannae will eventually grow into a small tree up to 9 1/2 feet (3 m) high, with a trunk up to 8 inches (20 cm) around. The rosettes have numerous narrow 2 to 3 foot long upright dull bluish-green leaves, sometimes flushed pinkish, that have yellowish teeth turned inwards towards the plant, making this a very friendly plant with no sharp parts to be avoided. Its long tubular leaves are relatively soft and rubbery in texture, with rounded tips. The narrow, rough-textured, leaves are strongly upward pointing and form an impressive, large crown. Aloe suzannae is extremely slow-growing, but eventually becomes tall and arborescent. Very old plants in Madagascar will eventually branch as evidenced by photos of plants with a huge massive set of branches and reaching up to about 15 feet or more. Large, well grown plants can be rather attractive, but many in the botanical gardens they are floppy, sad affairs, and frankly are rarely that ornamental. Probably a good species for the frost free areas of Arizona.

Flowering

Flowering is a rare event for Aloe suzannae with only maturing plants flowering (at least 20 to 30 years old), and that is infrequent (every 3-15 years). Blooming season is in late winter or early spring. The massive inflorescence which lasts for over a month is unbranched, and densely covered with ivory colored flowers that have yellow stamens. The campanulate shaped flowers are completely covering in length a stout tight spike to 5 feet tall rising above the foliage. It is exceptional in its genus in having nocturnal fragrant flowers, presumably pollinated by nocturnal animals such as bats and small lemurs. It has been observed in the wild with flowers open during the day. Kelly Griffin wrote about this plant in Madagascar, where he got to see a large number of very large plants growing, that this plant flowers both day and night, and pointed out that often repeated nocturnal flowering rule is a long-standing misconception. This plant is at least an unreliable flowerer. It can be years between flowering events for each plant. Some never seem to flower. Fortunately, a number of cultivated plants are now well established and have reached flowering size.

Origin / History

This aloe is endemic to Madagascar, occurring in the dryer south and south-west of the island (Ambosary and Itampolo). Here it grows in sandy soil near the coast, or among rocks. It is considered critically endangered with very few adult individuals known in each subpopulation and no evidence of regeneration. The few plants in botanical gardens were collected more than 50 years ago. French naturalist Raymond Decary (1891-1973) who lived and worked much of his life in Madagascar named this plant in 1921 after his daughter Suzanne.

Discover more Madagascan Aloes

Care / Cultivation

Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and water very little in summer months. It wants it hot all the time, and pretty dry. In cultivation, Aloe suzannae is best suited to warm temperate and dry tropical climates in USDA Zones 10 and above. Some do not find this an easy aloe to cultivate, and it is a bit prone to fungal infections. It tolerates weekly watering in the summer; once a month, or not at all in the colder months of December and January. Incorrect watering, poor drainage or too much shade can lead to attack by pests and diseases. Also, tissue culture has been used recently to propagate the species but genetic diversity is poor. The seeds should be sown at around 20 C., kept damp and must not fall dry. They will germinate in less than than 2 weeks.

Frost Tenderness

Long thought tender but many have commented on its ability to take frost and has proven hardy to 25° F.

Use in the Garden

In mild climates it can be cultivated outdoors for use in landscaping, preferably planting it in hot and dry rock gardens.

Read about more Aloes that can be used as a focal points in your garden.

Learn More

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

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