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146


ALOE


A


year but most heavily in spring. Good for small areas. A. ciliaris. CLIMBING ALOE. Zones 8, 9, 12–24; H1, H2. Climbing, sprawling plant with pencil-thin stems to 10 ft. long. Its small leaves of soft green are edged with white “eye- lashes” where the leaf clasps the stem. Long-stalked, 3–6-in. fl ower clusters with 20 to 30 green- or yellow-tipped scarlet fl owers appear intermittently year-round. This one takes a bit more shade than the other spe- cies but tolerates little frost. A. dawei. DAWE’S ALOE. Zones 12–24. Rosettes of erect, narrow, bright green leaves with toothed margins form a clump 3–4 ft. tall and wide. In late winter or early spring, branched spikes hold bright orange-red fl owers. Hardy to 25°F (–4°C). Best with light shade in hottest areas; can burn in refl ected heat. A. dichotoma. KOKER-


BOOM, QUIVER TREE. This impressive aloe forms a stocky, compact tree with gray-green, fi ngerlike leaves; short clusters of bright yellow fl owers appear in winter. Grows very slowly to an eventual 12 ft. high or more, with a massive, sculptural trunk. Hardy to about 27°F (–3°C). A. distans. JEWEL ALOE.


Running, rooting, branching stems make clumps of 6-in., fl eshy green leaves with yellow teeth along the edges (white in shade). In summer, forked fl ower stems, 11⁄2–2 ft. tall, carry rounded clusters of red fl owers. A. ferox. CAPE ALOE. A single large trunk rises 6–10 ft. high (after 10 years), topped by a single crown of gray-green, spiny, red-toothed leaves 3–4 ft. long and 6–8 in. wide. Each branched infl orescence holds hundreds of bright scarlet or orange blossoms in late fall or early winter. A. ‘Hercules’. This treelike


hybrid between A. dichotoma and A. barberae grows quickly to at least 25 ft. tall and 15 ft. wide, with broad, triangular, dark green leaves 2–3 ft. long. Orange blooms with green tips appear intermittently from spring to fall. Hardy to about 23°F (–5°C). A. ‘Johnson’s Hybrid’. Compact grower to 1 ft. high and 2 ft. wide, with thin, bright green leaves that have faint


white spots and small teeth. Bright orange fl owers on foot- high stalks bloom nearly year- round. Lovely in pots or as a small-scale groundcover. Hardy to 20°F (–7°C). A. maculata (A. sapo-


naria). SOAP ALOE. Short- stemmed rosettes a foot or more wide feature broad, white- spotted green leaves to 8 in. long. Multibranched, 11⁄2–21⁄2-ft. fl ower stalks rise in spring, topped with tight heads of nod- ding blossoms in salmon-orange or yellow. May grow as a solitary plant or send out suckers to form dense, expanding colo- nies. Dig and separate if plants become too crowded. ‘Yellow Form’ is dense, with lemon yel- low fl owers that bloom earlier. A. × nobilis. GOLD-TOOTH ALOE. Dark green leaves edged with small hooked teeth grow in rosettes to 1 ft. wide and high; suckers freely, forming a spread ing, mounded clump. Clustered orange-red fl owers on 2-ft. stalks appear in early sum- mer. Good in pots; takes limited root space. A. polyphylla. SPIRAL ALOE. Zones 5, 6, 15–17. This unusual plant forms a single, stemless rosette 1 ft. tall and 1–2 ft. wide, with overlapping rows of leaves that all spiral in the same direction to produce a pinwheel-like or “spinning” effect when viewed from above. Mature plants generate a branching, 2-ft.-tall stalk of nod- ding light red to salmon-pink blossoms in late spring (may fail to bloom some years). Pre- fers moist, slightly acidic soil and needs partial shade in hot areas. Withhold fertilizer in summer. Hardy to 10°F (–12°C). A. speciosa. TILT-HEAD


ALOE. Zones 15–24. This tree - like aloe grows 12–15 ft. tall, with a trunk topped by a single rosette of sword-shaped, blue- green leaves, each up to 3 ft. long. The trunk stands straight, but the rosette tilts toward the brightest available sunlight; hence the common name. In fall, fl ower spikes about 11⁄2 ft. long are densely set with tricolored fl owers that age from white to dark pink. Hardy to 25°F (–4°C). A. striata. CORAL ALOE.


This tailored plant forms a single 2-ft.-wide rosette with broad, thick leaves to 20 in. long.


Leaves are spineless, pale gray- green, often spotted and striped, with a narrow pinkish red edge. Large, branched clus- ters of brilliant coral pink to orange fl owers appear in mid- winter into spring. A. striatula. Scrambling, hardy shrub (to 15°F/–9°C) with dark green, sword-shaped leaves; distinctly striped leaf bases surround the stem. Multiple stems form a dense mound 5–6 ft. tall and to 15 ft. across, but plant may be kept much more compact with occa- sional hard pruning. Single spikes of yellow fl owers, fl ushed with orange in bud, rise 6–18 in. above the foliage in summer. A. thraskii. DUNE ALOE. Zones 8, 9, 12–24. Treelike succulent native to South Africa. Unbranched trunk is topped with graceful, arching, recurved leaves that give it a palm-like appearance. Leaves are fl eshy, grayish green. Yellow-orange blooms appear in winter. Grows to 10 ft. tall or more and 4–5 ft. wide. Best near the coast; hardy to 32°F (0°C). A. variegata. PARTRIDGE- BREAST ALOE, TIGER ALOE. Forms a foot-high, tight rosette of fl eshy, triangular, dark green, 5-in.-long leaves strikingly banded and edged with white. Loose clusters of pink to dull red fl owers appear in late winter to early spring. Best with some shade; can be grown as a houseplant. A. vera (A. barbadensis). MEDICINAL ALOE, BARBADOS ALOE. Zones 8, 9, 12–24; H1, H2. Forms clustering rosettes of narrow, fl eshy, stiffl y upright leaves 1–2 ft. long. Yellow fl ow- ers appear in dense spike atop a 3-ft. stalk in spring and sum- mer. This is a favorite folk medi- cine plant used to treat burns, bites, infl ammation. Among the best aloes for Zones 12, 13. Survives without extra water but needs some to look good.


The best aloes for growing in low bowls are small clump-forming hybrids. They’re perfect for tabletop displays.


Alopecurus pratensis


‘Aureus’ YELLOW FOXTAIL GRASS Poaceae


PERENNIAL GRASS ZZONES 2–10, 14–17, 21–24


FP PARTIAL SHADE IN HOTTEST CLIMATES


O REGULAR WATER


Alopecurus pratensis ‘Aureus’


This golden-variegated selection of a cool-season grass is native to Eurasia but has naturalized in North America (may be sold as ‘Variegatus’ or ‘Aureovarie- gatus’). It’s smaller and less vigorous than the plain (green- leafed) species, growing 2 ft. high and spreading slowly to form mats 11⁄2 ft. wide or more. The translucent foliage ranges from green striped with gold to almost entirely yellow; in part shade, it is chartreuse. This grass dislikes drought, exces- sive moisture, and high heat, but it’s a good fi ller or accent plant and makes an interesting, colorful groundcover. (For more on grasses, see “Meet the Grasses,” page 346.) When fl ower spikes form in midspring, shear them off (or, where summers are hot, cut plants back to about 5 in. high, as foliage can look ragged in summer’s heat). Shearing prevents the appearance of vol- unteer seedlings, which would be green-leafed. Fresh foliage appears when temperatures fall, and growth continues until the fi rst hard freeze. Nearly evergreen in climates with cool summers and mild winters. Divide clumps every 2 or 3 years in spring or fall.


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