Saturday, September 19, 2009

Random plant event: Aloe greatheadii var. davyana offset


I know, I know, an offsetting Aloe really isn't super-exciting stuff. And, actually, the pictures are even less exciting than they sound. But it's a big deal for me.

This particular Aloe, like most of my Aloes, was given to me via a trade at Garden Web in April 2007. Not all of the plants from that batch have survived, but A. greatheadii has both survived and gotten kind of huge. (Comparatively speaking.)

I had thought, after waiting for two years, that maybe greatheadii just didn't offset (by contrast, not only have I gotten offsets from Alworthia 'Black Gem,' but the offsets I divided at the end of July are themselves already offsetting), or that if it did, it would only do so outside in full sun, but I was wrong. It will, even indoors, given enough time. Which is nice to know. I wasn't initially all that crazy about greatheadii, but I've come to like it better the longer it's been around: no pest issues, extremely low-maintenance, pointy enough to be exciting but not pointy enough to be dangerous, etc.


5 comments:

lynn'sgarden said...

Another plant flourishing in your care! I was thrilled to collect 3 daylily proliferations yesterday...nothing beats 'free' plants..lol! Silly question: do aloes flower?

Lance said...

I wonder if this is the aloe I have. If so, mine offsets so much I give it away by the hand fulls.

And yes - mine flowers, has done so about 3 times over the last 2 years. Of course that's the main parent plant, that is now about 35 years old - at least that's how long it's been with my mother, then with me. She got it around 1975 to 1978 or so.

mr_subjunctive said...

lynn'sgarden:

Aloes do flower, though it's fairly uncommon inside, and when you do get flowers inside they tend not to be very impressive. I had flowers a long time ago on 'Dapple Green,' if you want to see. They look a lot like the flowers on Gasteria.

'Dapple Green,' for what it's worth, tries to flower for me all the time, (maybe twice a year?).

our friend Ben said...

Congratulations, Mr. S.! I love it when my aloes make offsets. And I must say, when my Aloe vera/barbadensis/whatever-it-is-now flowers, the flower spikes are pretty spectacular, a marvelous peach blush color.

Nature Assassin said...

I agree that an offset is newsworthy! It's good to see evidence that plants are happy, particularly as we go into fall and there's less plant-excitement to be had.