Aloe Again!

Revisiting Tabletop Aloes

by Jay Vannini

Aloe bellatula in the author’s collection. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

As the manic demand that gripped the global stem succulent market from 2016 until mid-2023 subsided, several obvious winners emerged among the various succulent plant genera that caught newly minted collectors’ eyes. All these plants continue to maintain their popularity among windowsill and terrace gardening enthusiasts and will likely continue to do so into the future. Many of these already had more-or-less established followings among succulent plant collectors that date back to the last century (Jacobsen, 1960; Rowley, 1997), but the addition of colorful, man-made designer forms has greatly increased their appeal to gardeners with limited space.

Most notably these include species and hybrids of conophytums (Aizoaceae); Ariocarpus, Lophophora, and Astrophytum (Cactaceae); Haworthia, Gasteria, and related genera and, of course, miniature aloes (Asphodelaceae).

Following early introductions of small and miniature species in the 19th century, aloes and related plants have been popular with indoor gardeners in the northern countries. That said, until the mid-20th century, with few exceptions most of the species in cultivation were taxa the originated from southern and eastern Africa (Rowley, 1997). As botanical exploration of Madagascar accelerated this century many miniature and smaller novelties were discovered, especially by legendary plantsman John Lavranos (d. 2018) and his coworkers. All were subsequently introduced to northern horticulture. Several of these were hybridized early on in Europe and the U.S. As these once rare and expensive recent introductions make their way into mainstream succulent collections, new combinations continue to be made using miniature Madagascan aloes (e.g., Aloe castilloniae hybrids).

In many ways the hardier tabletop aloe forms are perfect plants for apartment dwellers or those with small back gardens or sunny terraces.

Of special relevance to this article, over 130 species of aloes are endemic to Madagascar, together with other subspecies or varieties and a few documented natural hybrids. Madagascar is a key center of evolution for aloes and is home to over a quarter of all known species in the genus including many of concern to conservation biologists, together with some of the most commercially important ones in ornamental horticulture (Rakotoarisoa & Klopper, 2014; Dee et al., 2018).

A trio of Aloe imalotensis var. imalotensis growing as an exposed lithophyte among grasses together with Pachypodium rosulatum ssp. gracilis (yellow flowers) near Isalo NP, Ihorombe Region, Madagascar. Many of the endemic aloe species from the southwestern and south-central parts of the Madagascar that are popular in cultivation grow under similar conditions. Image: ©Ron Parsons 2024.

“Tabletop aloes” as defined here are Aloe species and hybrids that can be grown to mature sizes in 4-8”/10-20 cm pots, and that will thrive in cultivation under LED and other plant lights, on sunny windowsills, in bay windows, and atop patio tables. “Fantasy aloes” proper are a subset of man-made hybrids with showy leaves, usually small in size, and mostly available as mass market plants produced in large numbers at laboratories from plant tissue culture (PTC). The term appears to have been coined by employees of the Huntington Botanical Garden in southern California some time back. Fantasy aloes usually combine vivid colors and contrasting patterns with abundant tubercles, soft spines, or denticles on their leaf surfaces and margins that impart a characteristic look more reminiscent of tropical coral reef invertebrates than plants. Their color schemes are often so extraordinary, and the leaf forms so eccentric that they barely resemble their ancestor species; hence the “fantasy” descriptor. Many cultivars also switch colors dramatically under changing environmental conditions and this chameleon-like behavior in these plants is another of their many appealing characteristics.

Warm, bright, dry days with cool nighttime temperatures favor the production of high color leaves in tabletop aloes of all kinds, but especially fantasy types. Conversely, shady, wet conditions, and excessive fertilization in any temperature regimen tend to “green out” these plants.

An earlier (2018) article on this website examined the origins of fantasy aloes. Images of of the most important cultivars from a collector’s standpoint, mass market or not, are shown there. Despite its flaws, given the number of times it’s been raided for content by copy & paste plant bloggers and other intellectual property grifters over the years, it must still be popular. Link below; using your back button will return you to this page.

https://www.exoticaesoterica.com/magazine/a-field-guide-to-the-fantasy-aloes

Leaf details on a colorful 2020 fantasy aloe hybrid made by the author using Aloe descoingsii as the seed parent and complex parentage in the pollen donor that swamped the A. descoingsii influence. Those included A. bakeri and A. parvula among others. Blue and deep greenish-blue background colors with spiny red leaf margins are highly desirable features in fantasy aloes, e.g., Kelly Griffin’s attractive and hugely popular mass market release, A. ‘Christmas Carol’. Author’s plant. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Not all plants marketed as fantasy aloes are, strictly speaking, aloes at all. Gasteria crossed with Aloe, produces the nothogenus xGasteraloe, which is now a commonly encountered intergeneric cross. xGasteraloe ‘Midnight’ is an older cultivar that is often seen offered for sale. The attractive, fairly recent miniature introduction xG. ‘Tarantula’ from Altman’s is another such plant.

A selection of miniature and compact Aloe species suitable for small pot culture

Aloe antandroi (Decary) H. Perrier. Native to coastal areas of southern and southwestern Madagascar in the Atsimo-Andrefana Region. Fairly small for the most part with subdistichous leaf arrangement and slender stems but can grow to >4’/1.20 m tall in nature. Requires staking after about 18”/45 cm in height. Its somewhat untidy, shrubby habit when fully mature can be off-putting to some, but the coral red flowers on short peduncles are an attractive feature that tips the scales in its favor. Cold tolerant to at least 30 degrees F/-1 C in coastal California. Sometimes confused or considered conspecific with the similar-looking A. decaryi; POWO (2024) recognizes both names as accepted taxa.

Aloe aryrostachys Lavranos, Rakouth & T. A. McCoy. This medium sized aloe was originally discovered during the renovation of a rock garden at the Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tzimbazaza in Madagascar. It was subsequently found in nature by John Lavranos in the mid 2000s on quartzite formations in the central highlands in the Analamanga Region. The green and white striped corollas are large for a tabletop aloe but otherwise strongly reminiscent of those on most miniature Haworthia species. Can be touchy in cultivation. I crossed two unrelated wild origin plants into first generation manmade but still found that even captive-origin seedlings are prone to crash–seemingly out of nowhere sometimes–despite prophylactic use of fungicidal soil drenches. Likely best destined for lightly shaded benches in dry, climate controlled greenhouses.

A closeup of a fresh inflorescence on a mature Aloe argyrostachys of mine taken in the greenhouse in 2020. The length of the arched, snaky peduncle (3’/92 cm) was a bit surprising when the first one appeared. Image (smartphone): ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe bakeri Scott-Elliot. Endemic to the Anosy Region of coastal southeastern Madagascar. One of the early discoveries that made its way to horticulture in Europe. Depending on origin, plants may vary substantially in appearance. The influence of Aloe bakeri is evident in the background of many modern hybrids. Like most of the species discussed here, this is a lithophytic species that may be inter-grown by grasses and other associated vegetation in nature.

Aloe bakeri in the author’s collection. Some local forms of this species can maintain a bright green background color even when grown in bright sunshine. Compare with the photo of the fantasy hybrid shown above. Image: © Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe bellatula Reynolds. A commonly cultivated, fast growing compact species with thin, pliant leaves from upper elevations of the Amoron’i Mania Region in central Madagascar. Image shown at the beginning of this article. While plants from different sources will vary a bit in appearance depending on growing conditions, beware of mislabeled hybrids with wide leaves and odd flower colors.

Aloe boiteaui Guillaumin. Native to southeastern Madagascar in coastal areas of the Anosy Region. Of enigmatic origin with plants in the description having red flowers (Rauh, 1995). Some plants labeled A.boiteaui seen in US cultivation have cream or pale pink colored flowers and likely represent hybrids or another taxon.

Aloe calcairophila Reynolds. Endemic to south central Madagascar in Matsiatra Ambony Region. A prized, slow-growing miniature with distichous leaves and white flowers that can be grown to maturity in a 4”/10 cm pot. Touchy in cultivation and prone to rot if the substrate is kept too moist or plants remain wet overnight.

A mature clump of Aloe calcairophila starting to spiral a wee bit in the author’s collection. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe castilloniae J.-B. Castillon. Indigenous to the Plateau Matafaly Region located in the arid southwestern corner of Madagascar. A showy and compact introduction that offsets prolifically when mature and has become more available (and far less costly) over the past five years. Plants sold as A. ‘Castilloniae Hybrid Blue’ (sic; in current convention Latin or latinized epithets are no longer acceptable for cultivar names)–or alternately mislabeled A. castilloniae ‘Blue’–appear to be an open-pollinated hybrid with A. castilloniae as the seed parent. I have found examples of this handsome dwarf aloe that originated from a well-known US West coast botanical garden’s extensive succulent plant collection to be bullet-proof in cultivation. Mature specimens with elongated stems that have retained leaves along their lengths are extremely striking in appearance when in flower. Suitable for long-term cultivation in hanging baskets or on (dry) plant walls.

A detail of a potted Aloe castilloniae colony in the author’s collection with a 20”/50 cm spread. Older specimens with long, ropy stems can achieve massive dimensions over time. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe decaryi Guillaumin. An attractive small erect species from the Androy Region in southeastern Madagascar, with slender stems and nearly distichous leaves. The true species is known to be in cultivation, but this is another plant whose name appears on larger hybrids. It has been confused with A. antandroi.

Aloe delphinensis Rauh. Also endemic to a small coastal area in Anosy Region of Madagascar. Somewhat plain-looking and apparently still somewhat rare in cultivation; this perhaps at least partially due to its unremarkable appearance.

Aloe deltoideodonta Baker. Native to a few Regions in central Madagascar. A popular early introduction from the late 1800s, there were over a dozen varieties and forms described from cultivation through the 1960s that have now been reduced to three subspecies and one variety (POWO, 2024). Another plant that has been commonly used in hybridization, notably in an early release that is an ancestor of other well-known modern cultivars, A. ‘Wunderkind’ (ISI 2004-16).

Aloe descoingsii Reynolds. Endemic to coastal areas of Atsimo-Andrefana and Androy Regions in southern and southwestern Madagascar. Especially popular with hybridizers and some of the small and very attractive offerings from the Dick Wright nursery (e.g., A. ‘Shaved Coconut’) and others leverage this elfin species’ visual appeal and valuable genetics.

A large mature clump of Aloe descoingsii in the authors’ collection, grown “hard”. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe droseroides Lavranos & T. A. McCoy. Endemic to Matsiatra Ambony Region in south central Madagascar. Published in 2003. An elegant miniature, white-flowered species that can be grown to maturity in a 4-5”/10-13 cm pot. Like several other true miniature aloes, this species is prone to rot if kept too shady and/or wet.

The sometimes delicate Aloe droseroides offsetting vigorously in the author’s collection. This is another prized miniature aloe species that can be grown to specimen size in a 5”/13 cm pot. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe florenceae Lavranos & T. A. McCoy. From the Vakinakantra Region of central Madagascar. A small species that is rather uncommon in cultivation and recalls a much tidier version of A. haworthioides.

Leaf details on a young Aloe florenceae isolated in quarantine. Author’s plant. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024

Aloe fragilis Lavranos & Röösli. An important discovery made in 1992 in dry forest at Cap Manambato in the Diana Region of northeastern Madagascar. A miniature species (2-4”/5-10 cm across) that in true species form appears to be limited cultivation, at least in the U.S.

Aloe haworthioides Baker. Native to Matsiatra-Ambony and Ihorombe Regions in central Madagascar. This is a commonly cultivated tabletop aloe from granite and quartz ridges where it grows among grasses. It is easy to grow and surprisingly tolerant of neglect. Two recognized varieties exist (POWO, 2024), var. haworthioides and var. aurantiaca. Common in cultivation as both the true species and primary hybrids mislabeled under this name.

Frisée you say? A huge old clump of Aloe haworthiodes grown “hard”–note the maroon leaves–under greenhouse conditions. Author’s plant. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe hoffmanni Lavranos. A Critically Endangered species known only from type locality in the Bongolava Region of north-central Madagascar. Popular with aloe species collectors, this slow-growing, branched species is an extremely handsome stem succulent when well grown.

Aloe imalotensis Reynolds. A widely distributed plant across several regions in the southern half of Madagascar. There are three accepted varieties that differ in leaf colors: var. imalotensis (shown here in nature), var. longeracemosa, and var. parva, which was described in 2023 as “parvus”. Only one is widely cultivated for its attractive maculate leaves and colorful margins, var. longeracemosa, Images of flowering plants of the different varieties exhibit uniformly orange to red corollas that differ in appearance from those on cultivated plants shown online.

Aloe inexpectata Lavranos & T. A. McCoy. Endemic to the Haute Matsiatra Region. An interesting dwarf species with short branching stems when mature. In my experience with several unrelated accessions, A. inexpectata can be somewhat difficult to succeed with long-term in cultivation unless kept under uniformly dry conditions with cool nights. After losing mine to sudden decline, I strongly recommend starting duplicates as soon as your plant is well developed to avoid total losses when an individual plant decides to hand in its lunch pail.

Aloe parvula A. Berger. Native to central and southwestern Madagascar in Haute Matsiatra and Atsimo-Andrefana Regions. Commonly cultivated but the following larger sibling species is more attractive in my opinion and may appear mislabeled and sold as A. parvula. This species is one of the many species that contributed to creating the attractive and (very) complex Karen Zimmerman tabletop hybrid, A. ‘DZ’ (ISI 2010-12).

Aloe pseudoparvula J.-B. Castillon. Apparently endemic to Haute Matsiatra Region in south central Madagascar.. As the name suggests, a sib species to A. parvula with which it shares many of the same plant characters. Generally speaking, it a larger plant overall with wider leaves with fewer tubercles on their upper surfaces. My use of it as a pollen parent in a pair of crosses indicate that its color and form are dominant, especially the pale-colored pinpoint tubercles on upper leaf surfaces. Floriferous and handsome when grown fairly “hard”.

Aloe pseudoparvula coming into flower in the author’s collection. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe rauhii Reynolds. The influence of the south Madagascan A. rauhii as an ancestor in contemporary miniature hybridization programs is to be seen almost everywhere. Many obvious hybrids are sold by nurseries under this species name (pers. obs.), and the plant also in the background parentage of more than a few complex hybrids. Growers interested in having true forms of the species should look to nursery or collector sources that can trace offset-grown back to origin.

Other small and interesting non-Madagascan Aloe species

Aloe erinacea D. S. Hardy. Native to southwestern Namibia and northwestern corner of Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Briefly treated as a subspecies of its sib sp. from the Western Cape Province, A. melanacantha A. Berger by Gordon Rowley. An outstanding subject for pot culture but–as I learned from bitter experience–it should be watered judiciously in winter. One of the most attractive of the smaller aloe species when well grown.

A group of well-grown juvenile Aloe erinacea being prepped for a plant sale at the Huntington BG in the summer of 2016. This is a fantastic compact African aloe species that I lost to rot at mature size and after many years of happy coexistence when a “friend” decided to water it every day for a month in winter. Image (smartphone): ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe jucunda Reynolds. Endemic to a small area in Hargeisa Region, northern Somalia. Commonly cultivated and handsome but appears to have been propagated from a very limited genetic base. This is another name routinely applied to small hybrids that may only be vaguely similar in appearance to the true species.

A large colony of Aloe jucunda growing in a 12”/30 cm terracotta bowl in the author’s collection. Image: Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe humilis (L.) Mill. Eastern and Western Cape Provinces in South Africa. Another popular species in cultivation that had a half dozen varieties described from both natural and horticultural origin. These are now considered nothing more than variation in plant forms across populations. Flowers are normally orange to reddish, but I do grow a yellow-flowered form that I was told can be traced back to wild origin plants that is especially attractive in bloom.

Aloe pearsonii Schönland. Southwestern Namibia and the Western Cape Province. A popular if very slow growing colonial species whose commercial value increases substantially with each healthy set of leaves. Distichous leaves when small that begin to rotate when the plant is ~6”/15 cm in height. Normally seen in cultivation between that size and 18”/45 cm tall, it can grow to 4’ in nature. An attractive selection from a cross with A. distans that was micro propagated at the Huntington Botanical Garden is offered as A. ‘Hellskloof Bells’ (ISI 2007-13). Beware open-pollinated hybrid plants offered as pure A. pearsonii by uninformed or unscrupulous vendors.

Stem detail showing candycane design on a young Aloe pearsonii grown by Matt Fernandez. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe squarrosa Baker ex Balf. F. Endemic to Socotra Island, Yemen. Formerly called A. concinna and long believed to have originated from Zanzibar Island, Tanzania. Open pollinated hybrids sold under this name are common in the trade. Both the species and hybrids made with it are easy to grow and common in cultivation. Some select forms are prized for their brightly colored, contrast-marked leaves.

CULTIVATION

Substrates and containers

As should be evident in my photographs of succulent plants on this website I have always favored substrates with a high content of graded pumice for xerophytes growing in both my Guatemalan and Californian collections. Depending on the subject, I use volume ratios starting at 1:1 and ranging as high as 6:1 graded pumice to organic content for plants that are especially prone to rot. I amend my mixes with 180 day nutricote and prilled gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate). For plants originating from limestone formations, I also add small amounts of powdered or granular dolomitic limestone (calcium magnesium carbonate) to the blend in order to raise the substrate’s pH and provide a source of slow-release Ca and Mg.

My standard substrate blend for tabletop aloes and related, screened pumice and Pro-Mix at a ratio of ~2:1. I increase the volume of pumice in the mix for species susceptible to root loss. Millimetric ruler for scale. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

In Guatemala I used well-composted, heat sterilized oak leaf mold as my preferred organic component for succulent growing media. In California I use Pro-Mix BX Biofungicide + Mycorrhizae, which performs well, although it does dry much faster than high quality leaf mold.

Other substrates suitable for long-term pot culture of tabletop aloes that are popular with growers in California and elsewhere include different types of fine gravel mixed with bagged cactus soil, pure fine grade akadama (i.e., Japanese volcanic clay; worth experimenting with for rarities but costly and requires careful watering), fine decomposed granite/DG in lieu of pumice, fine or medium-grade perlite (not particularly a fan of this product for succulents), fine to medium grade volcanic scoria (i.e., screened lava) both on its own and amended with sphagnum peat, coarsely granulated diatomaceous earth or diatomite (“Floor Dry” and other brands), etc.

A healthy group of aloe seedlings growing on a shaded windowsill in my study a few years back. A thin layer of fine gravel or pumice as shown will keep the newly-sown seeds from floating to the surface and dessicating. Author’s plants. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Other than seedlings and larger plants destined for sale, I grow my entire collection of Asphodelaceae family plants, including the tabletop aloes, in Italian terracotta pots that are wider than tall. This design, where the height is approximately ¾ its width, is generally referred to in the U.S. as an azalea or low profile orchid pot if vented on the sides.  Beyond their superior aesthetics, the porosity of these pots permit substrates to dry rapidly and allow for ready gas exchange between the root system and the environment outside the pot. When I do use plastic pots for plants propagated specifically for sale or as gifts, I use square pots that are as wide as tall.

For those willing to make the investment, high quality bonsai or custom made clay pots are worth evaluating for treasured specimens. Add or enlarge existing drainage holes in the containers as needed.

Note that handmade/artisanal native or Mexican clay pots can be much more fragile than industrially manufactured Italian and Chinese pots.

Italian clay azalea pots of industrial manufacture ranging from 8”/20 cm diameter at the upper edge on the left down to 4”/10 cm on the right. I have found that vented terracotta orchid pots such the one shown second from left are useful for pampering lithophytic stem succulents from arid ecosystems that are especially sensitive to prolonged spells trapped in wet substrates. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

While I prefer them for my own collections, for others the major disadvantages of clay pots are obvious immediately: Their fragility, fairly high cost per unit, weight, and the reality that they require a lot more time, care, and effort invested in cleaning and disinfecting them for re-use than recyclable injection molded plastic pots.

A group of recently transplanted offsets of Madagascan tabletop aloe species (left to right - A. descoingsii, A. calcairophila, A. boiteaui, and A. droseroides) staged in a Chinese bonsai tray. I kept this arrangement from 2018 until 2022 before deciding that I needed the tray for another application. In order to be suitable containers for moisture sensitive stem succulents, some bonsai pots require (very) careful enlarging of their drainage holes. You may want an experienced hand and the right tools to do this. Loss of an expensive bonsai pot to ham-handed modifications can be a bitter experience. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

*Pro Tip I: When re-potting difficult-to-identify plants in your collection, place a half length plastic plant tag with basic name and accession information written on it in #2 pencil at the bottom of an empty pot. Position the label so that it will not obstruct drainage holes. Proceed to fill enough substrate to cover the tag and then repot your plant over this layer in its new container. This hidden insurance policy will often save frustration down the line when a tag on the surface snaps off and is lost or is removed by a visitor or pet.

*Pro Tip II: Fellow Esotérico and stem succulent collector Bill Lamar recommends the simple V-type metal flowerpot clips designed to grip the edges of 5-8”/13-20 cm clays as unobtrusive hangers for people wanting to exploit available space on patio walls, wooden fences, posts, lath house uprights, etc. Dropping a plastic pot inside a suitably-sized clay will permit these pot clips dual purpose use. Many brands and colors available from online vendors.

Nutrition

Most potted aloes grow and flower readily when fertilized with time released prilled fertilizers. I favor different formulations of nutricote (Florikan®/Chisso-Asahi Fertilizer Co.) but there are other domestically-produced options available on the market that produce acceptable results, including some specifically formulated for cacti and other stem succulents. Top dressing these pelleted products every six months or so keeps growth steady. From mid spring to mid fall I also fertigate my plants once a month with Cal Mag 17-5-17 + micros injected at ~100 ppm total nitrogen (N). This formulation is much higher in N and much lower in phosphorous (P) than is generally recommended for stem succulents but, together with the nutricote, it produces excellent results for me.

Pest & Disease Control

Miniature aloes in cultivation are vulnerable to a wide variety of vexing arthropod pests, including mealybugs (Pseudococcidae), armored scales (Diaspidae), aphids or greenflies (Aphididae), thrips (many families of Order Thrysanoptera), and spider mites (Tetranychidae and others).

Control of most of these is straightforward via a variety of means, although suppression of spider mite populations can be especially challenging when conditions are dry and temperatures high that can lead to mite populations appearing to explode overnight. Many cautious indoor growers opt to use either non-toxic/biorational or low-toxicity products to eradicate arthropod pests, including alcohol in combination with water, plant soaps, pyrethrin, releases of commercially produced predator arthropods and nematodes, etc.

For those who decide for chemical control remedies, educate yourself on their risks and choose your poisons with care.

A greater threat to valuable, established collections of plants of the aloe family is the aloe gall mite (Aceria aloinus, Eriophyidae). This pernicious microscopic pest infests apical tissue in alooids and causes galled, tightly clustered and deformed inflorescences as well as new leaves that make them unsightly and (usually) unmarketable. It will spread readily though both indoor and outdoor collections of alooid plants near to or in contact with one another but are usually wind or breeze dispersed. Their damage is most commonly observed in mass market hybrid plants of the genus Aloe but will also infest related genera. The fact that these pests and their eggs are usually located in galled apical tissue and thus well-protected from knock-down contact pesticides or even many systemics complicates their control. Villavicencio et al., 2014 provide an overview of the pest and some proposed methods of suppression, including an evaluation of their efficacies in reducing or eliminating aloe gall mites.

As a first order of business, don’t purchase suspicious looking aloes and related plants, especially if they show evidence of decline or deformed flowers and top growths.

Beyond that, I always recommend lengthy quarantines and close observation for evidence of pest infestations or disease in newly acquired alooids at a location separate from an existing collection. While not practical for most hobbyists or home gardeners, I use–in rotation–three separate prophylactic spray series of a quartet of miticides with translaminar modes of absorption over a ~six month period prior to introducing newly acquired Aloe or closely-related genera plants into my main collection. Since chemical control is both expensive and otherwise impractical for non-commercial growers, the easiest solution for most when mite infestations are detected is to immediately discard the plants.

Due to the potential for liability that often cannot be transferred to the manufacturer, garden centers in the U.S. generally carry only those pest control products that are explicitly approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for home garden use. While most of these have “CAUTION”-type labels, they are nonetheless often highly toxic for pets, wildlife, and–especially–pollinating insects when used outdoors. Again, follow the label instructions and use common sense when handling any type of ag-chem.

Always observe state and local laws when purchasing and applying pesticides with any mode of action. Product names mentioned in this article do not constitute an endorsement of any kind for their use. I/we am/are not responsible for economic loss or injuries incurred by person/s or commercial entities who handle or use these products under any circumstances. Be aware that many jurisdictions around the world specifically prohibit homeowners from applying pesticides developed for commercial greenhouses or use on field crops to be sprayed in their gardens and/or interiors.

For reference purposes, the products generally recommended for eriophyid control in aloe family plants housed in commercial facilities and certain botanical garden settings that are currently on the market include:

Forbid (Active ingredient: Spiromesifen, contact and translaminar action), Pylon (Active ingredient: Chlorfenapyr, contact and translaminar action), Avid (Active ingredident: Abamectin, contact and translaminar action), Sirocco (Active ingredients: Bifenazate and Abamectin, contact and translaminar action), and Sevin SL (Active ingredient: Carbaryl, a contact insecticide and miticide with an infamous back story in India).

Most of these products were trialed and their efficacy evaluated in the Villavicencio et al. (2014) paper mentioned earlier, together with desert rose (Adenium) commercial growers earlier still (pers. obs.). Persons boasting on internet succulent fora claiming to have discovered the “secrets” for tetranychid and eriophyid mite control in agaves as well as aloes and related plants are just self-aggrandizing and really do need to learn to dream faster.

Employ caution when using miticides NOT labeled for application on ornamentals, e.g., Zeal (Active Ingredient: Etoxazole, translaminar action) as plant damage or loss may result. Note that most miticides are not approved for homeowner use in any case; indeed, even many well-known and commonly recommended pesticides (e.g., BioAdvanced’s 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control) are not approved for sale in all 50 U.S. states. Some contemporary formulations of “Sevin” such as GardenTech’s, formerly recommended for use in control of eriophyid mites, have changed their active ingredient from Carbaryl (a contact pesticide) to Zeta-Cypermethrin, (although Sevin SL from Bayer still contains Carbaryl). Note that these newer, long-lasting, and lower-tox formulations of Sevin will not control eriophyid mites.

As a rule I do not use surfactants/spreader-stickers in combination with pesticides on stem succulents, but many collectors do so despite label warnings against mixing due to risk of damage when they are combined with certain other products. Reduced watering cycles for aloes allow for efficient use of pesticides sans surfactants. I typically favor spraying in early morning when temperatures are cool so that the foliage is completely dry by the time that sunshine is a potential burn risk factor.

Biological control of eriophyid mites has proven a challenge so far due to their location; i.e., embedded within plant tissues. Timed releases of specific types of roving predatory mites with broad prey bases may limit their spread but–until proven otherwise–will not provide effective control of existing infestations. Aggressive leaf removal has been suggested as a management technique to suppress related species of gall mites in other commercial crops (Li et al., 2019), and defoliation and “topping” the stems are worth evaluating by growers who own infested examples of very rare/valuable Aloe species that they are unwilling to throw out and may be firmly ag-chem averse.

Potted aloes are also vulnerable to a variety of fungal rots when kept too moist. There are a wide variety of chemical control options on the market, some of which are suitable for use by home gardeners. Again, check labels for use restrictions applicable to your situation. Scott’s Banrot 40WP (Active ingredients: Etridiazole and Thiophanate-methyl, contact and systemic action) provides effective broad-spectrum fungal control when used as a soil drench on patio and garden plants at 45-60 day intervals in winter. It is approved for use on ornamental plants (including some succulents) outdoors and also in commercial greenhouses. It is not labeled for use indoors nor in hobbyist greenhouses and is not available for retail sale in some U.S. states.

Licensed pesticide applicators who work in commercial facilities and on farms should always wear personal protective gear, most importantly gloves and respirators or masks approved for use with ag-chem. Sprayed areas should be posted with warnings and earliest re-entry time shown.

I am quite aware that many amateur ornamental plant collectors who read all this will chuckle, ignore the warnings, and proceed as they like. Evidence of clueless individuals spraying potentially dangerous chemicals on their houseplants in enclosed environments are regularly posted to the social media and YouTube-type channels, as are the occasional asinine displays by gardening buffs shown with backpack sprayers using insecticides in their home gardens while dressed in short pants and sleeveless T-shirts.

All I can say to this is that if you don’t care about your own health, at least don’t be a danger to others, pets, and to wildlife.

JV Hybrid Gallery

A showy, very rugose complex hybrid of the author’s at 6”/15 cm pot size that is the product of a controlled cross I made in 2018 of two older fantasy aloe cultivars. Of three quite different looking seedlings that resulted from it that I held back is the nicest by far. In my experience, extreme variability in the appearance and mature size of progeny derived from crosses of two complex hybrid aloes is the rule, not the exception. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

I was fortunate that much of the heavy lifting required to achieve the current high quality level of fantasy aloes was complete by the time I took an interest in them. Past efforts by several talented breeders have produced many complex hybrids that are solid enough to spin off beauties from even random crosses between them. Put another way, evidence to date indicates that cross-pollination of any pair of exceptional fantasy aloe cultivars will produce a very high percentage of handsome offspring.

Tabletop aloes have attractive corollas that range in color from white and pale pink through to deep red and are often borne in racemes on tall inflorescences. Many have green and white striping on the tepal tips. This a typical example of a group of flowers shown on a fantasy aloe with partially exposed pistils and pollen laden anthers. Author’s plants. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Aloe flowers have exposed reproductive parts when receptive and are extremely easy to pollinate. They also have short pod ripening times, and fresh seeds germinate rapidly after being sown. These features have made them popular subjects with succulent enthusiasts interested in trying their hand at plant breeding and growing aloes from seed. In many cases, preliminary results are visible after only 18 months following cross pollination. Note that seedlings and juvenile fantasy aloes are usually much spinier-looking than they do at maturity so it is unwise to assume that a prickly small plant being offered by an online nursery will necessarily retain these features into maturity.

An Aloe castilloniae hybrid of mine that has a fantasy aloe pollen parent. Note how the short flower stalks of A. castilloniae have tamed the inflorescence height on this compact hybrid.

My brief foray into the shallow waters of tabletop aloe hybridization from 2017 to 2020 was centered on rejiggering a few of breeder Karen Zimmerman’s more notable commercial cultivars from the past decade to intensify their already attractive leaf colors and forms. I also made several experimental novelty crosses between these plants and some of the smaller species, including A. descoingsii, A. bakeri, A. pseudoparvula, and A. castilloniae.

Despite carrying showy flowers, I find the whip antenna-type inflorescences that develop on many of the popular hybrids to be unwieldy. They often leave the plants with clusters of tall, wiry flower stalks leaning every which way and unbalanced, messy appearances. Largely because of this failing I experimented with a half dozen crosses using Aloe castilloniae as a parent (both as seed and pollen parents) crossed with what I felt were exceptional fantasy aloe cultivars available at the time. Both parent types chosen have clusters of colorful flowers held on relatively short peduncles. Six years later I am mostly satisfied with the end results visible in fully mature specimens, which are almost all miniature to compact, vigorously clustering, bristling with colorful tubercles, easy to grow, and carrying good numbers of colorful flowers on shortened peduncles.

From a collector’s perspective, when selecting individuals that warrant setting aside often scarce bench, patio table, or windowsill space, among other things that should be evaluated include the plants’ mature attributes. What is the maximum rosette size and how amenable is it to a long life in a 6”/15 pot? Do they offset slowly and sparingly or quickly and in abundant numbers? Do the leaf colors change dramatically with the seasons’ changing environmental conditions or are they color stable despite light intensity and watering frequency? Are the flowers especially colorful and produced in good numbers?

When I first looked closely at fantasy aloes in 2016, it was already obvious that Thai and Floridian nurseries had already been “tweaking” some of the hybrids from Kelly Griffin, Karen Zimmerman, and Dick Wright to produce various iterations of their more popular named cultivars. This by way of self-pollinating certain clones or crosses between these plants. Apart from owning a clean and well-documented reference collection of most of the key fantasy aloe releases through until 2020, I made one of these crosses myself in 2018 (Aloe ‘DZ’ x A. ‘Marsha Layhew’). Because of this I recognized key “tells” in the likely parentage of many of these “copycat” plants early on. Recent commercial hybrid releases appear to still be going around and around (and around) these same floor plans as far as I can see, with nothing visibly “new and noteworthy” released to the market for the past several years.

For one example, note the overall similarity of Aloe ‘Hodge Podge’ (ISI 2023-9), a complex Zimmerman hybrid with her A. ‘Marsha Layhew’ as the pollen parent, to others posted here and elsewhere on the internet. At least for the time being, we seem to have squeezed most of the most obvious hybrid potential from these remarkable plants, at least as far as those that have mass market appeal.

The plants shown here were produced by the author as novelties for my personal collection, mostly as batch of crosses done in the late 2010’s. The hybrid aloes included below are the product of hand pollination under controlled environments either indoors or in closed greenhouses. None of the plants shown here originated by “hummingbird-assistance”, “hummingbird hybridization”, or whatever other euphemism people use these days when marketing the NOID progeny of open pollinated flowers. I also keep close track of the progress of plants in and from compots.

There are few things that are more frustrating in ornamental succulent plant collecting than trying to guess the name or parentage of an orphaned hybrid aloe that has lost its ID tag.

Note: All images contained in this article excepting two smartphone shots were taken with full frame DSLRs with very narrow lens apertures (f16 to f40) under natural light. The images have been slightly brightened but their colors have not been enhanced. In my opinion, most of these plants are even more attractive in hand than in their imperfectly-rendered portraits suggest.

Above: A complex hybrid I produced with Aloe castilloniae as the pollen parent. Random color break evident on two offsets that produced the albo-variegation evident here is worth watching but may prove ephemeral. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

One variation of the Aloe castilloniae x any of several fantasy aloe hybrids that will produce nice-looking offspring on a uniform basis. Author’s plant. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

And above once again: One of my better selections of an Aloe castilloniae hybrid with compact, exceptionally toothy, and very colorful rosettes. It is dead easy to grow and offsets prolifically, too. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Shown above, leaf details on three siblings selected from a batch of plants grown from a cross of Karen Zimmerman’s tabletop-sized Aloe ‘DZ’ and her A. ‘Marsha Layhew’ that I made in 2018. Both parents are beautiful complex fantasy aloe hybrids and almost all of the offspring I grew out to flowering size, while variable in size and habit across the sibling batch, are attractively micro-ornamented and colorful. Despite the amount of creative genetic jazz riffing in the background, the strong influence of the maternal parent’s (‘DZ’) overall appearance is obvious in two. Images: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Nothing remarkable in terms of crooked teeth and bold colors, but a small, dark & handsome selection chosen early on from the seedling batch of my first Aloe hybrid: A. ‘Wrasse’ x A. pseudoparvula. The mass market seed parent A. ‘Wrasse’ exhibits a bit of variation, apparently from genetic drift in micropropagation; I used the red rather than the green form in this cross. This plant was an outlier in the grex - its siblings all have dark blue-green ground color on their leaves. Temperature tolerant to sub 30 degrees F/-1 C,.Author’s plant. Image: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Leaf and stem details on another group of siblings that was leveraged off the compact, popular, and extremely showy Karen Zimmerman cultivar, Aloe ‘Secret Agent’, by me in 2019. That miniature complex hybrid was used as the pollen donor in this particular cross and–despite the considerable variability in color, form, and size evident among the fully mature quartet shown above–’Secret Agent’s miniature petite dimensions and eccentric leaf form are clearly dominant throughout. Images: ©Jay Vannini 2024.

Enjoy your Fantasies!

References 

Dee, R., P. Malakasi, S. E. Rakotoarisoa, and O. M. Grace. 2018. A phylogenetic analysis of the genus Aloe (Aspholedaceae) in Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 187: 428-440.

Jacobsen, H. 1960 (English Edition). A Handbook of Succulent Plants. Blandford Press. London. Three volumes. 1,441 pp, 1617 illustrations, and 3 maps. This work contains a dated but detailed Aloe treatment including sectional placements in volume 1: 144-214.

Lavranos, J. J., B. Rakouth, and T. A. McCoy. 2007. Aloe argyrostachys, a beautiful new species from the mountains of central Madagascar. Bradleya (25): 1-17.

Li, J., S. Liu, H. Qiao, R. Xu, C. Xu, and J. Chen. 2019. A new method of gall mite management: application of artificial defoliation to control Aceria pallida. PeerJ, DOI 10.7717/peerj.6503. 13 pp.

Rakotoarisoa, S. E. and R. Klopper. 2014. A preliminary assessment of the conservation status of the genus Aloe L. in Madagascar. Bradleya 32: 81-91.

Rakotoarisoa, S., F. Rakotonasolo, R. Rabarijaona, and O. Grace. 2020. Two new species of Aloe (Asphodelaceae) from the Eastern Humid Forest of Madagascar. Phytotaxa 455 (1): 40-46. (A. raokotonasoloi and A. vatovavensis).

Rauh, W. 1995. Succulent and Xerophytic Plants of Madagascar. Volume 1. Strawberry Press. Mill Valley, California. 343 pp.

Rowley, G. 1997. A History of Succulent Plants. Strawberry Press. Mill Valley, California. 409 + XV pp.

POWO (2024). Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet: https://powo.science.kew.org/

Villavicencio, L. E., J. A. Bethke, B. Dahlke, B. Vander Mey, and L. Corkidi. 2014. Curative and Preventive Control of Aceria aloinis (Acari: Eriophyidae) in Southern California. Journal of Economic Entomology: Horticultural Entomology, Vol. 107, No. 6. 2088-2094. https://academic.oup.com/jee/article/107/6/2088/795134

Acknowledgements 

As always, many thanks to my friend and sometime mentor Tom Perlite of Golden Gate Orchids for providing a fantastic environment for growing exotic plants. Thanks likewise to another good friend, photographer Ron Parsons of Flowershots for his image of Aloe imalotensis and Pachypodium rosulatum in nature in the Ihorombe region of Madagascar. Professional horticulturist and colleague Matt Fernandez very kindly entrusted me with his flawless young A. pearsonii for a short photography session. Esotérico Bill Lamar added two valuable suggestions based on his experience growing stems succulents in terracotta pots under his conditions in north Texas, USA.

All contents ©Exotica Esoterica LLC®, ©Jay Vannini 2024 and ©Ron Parsons 2024.