The plant has green leaves, tending to brown-brown, even purple, spotted with brown or white, even red. They are fleshy, serrated and lined with spines up to 0.5 cm long. They are relatively short (30 cm) and narrow (10 cm) leaves. The rosette which can easily reach 60 cm is very geometric. The leaves are distributed around the central axis of the plant by 3, distributed in a triangle, giving it a bit of a starfish appearance seen from above.

Bloom

From April to June, it produces flowers ranging in color from coral red to orange yellow (4-5 cm), on a long stem (one or more), simple or branched. Its flowering lasts a month. Its seeds are poisonous. The flowers are erect on the top of the cluster before they open, then drooping on the lower part as the tepals open. Like many aloes, the melliferous flowers attract butterflies, bees and birds.

Culture

In full sun but also in partial shade in a drained soil. Very resistant to drought. Very good pot life.

Use

The beauty of its flowers and its habit but above all its great resistance to heat and drought, its ease of adaptation to difficult soils, make it appreciated as an ornamental plant. Like all aloes, it requires sandy, well-drained soil and exposure to the sun. Used in "covering bush" these aloes produce an impressive mass effect by the profusion of its flowering. The sap is supposed to be able to be used as a substitute for soap, hence the Anglo-Saxon name of the plant "soap aloe" (aloe soap).

container 

Plant in a 12 cm diameter pot