Aloe pictifolia

January 28, 2010

Aloe pictifolia is a medium sized species with gray-green leaves covered on both sides with plenty of white spots. Since that is also derived name - spotted leaves. Plants usually form small groups of up to seven rosettes, each growing in diameter and 20 cm. The leaves are up to 15 cm long by 2.5 cm wide base. Both leaf surfaces are densely covered with white spots. The color sheet is šedavozelená but when growing in the sun and in the absence of water stress in plants due to red with a pink tinge. The edge of the sheet along its entire length lined with fine up to 2 mm long teeth.

Aloe pictifolia occurrence is limited to a small area of sandstone cliffs which rise near the Kouga River near Hankey in the Eastern Cape. The average maximum daily temperature in the area is about 25 ° C with an average daily minimum around 10 ° C. Winter is cold but not freezing. At the same location we can find other succulents plants: Cyrtanthus flammosus, C. montanus, Gasteria glomerata, Haworthia gracilis var. picture, H. viscosa, Plectranthus verticillatus, Othonna lobata, Cotyledon tomentosa subsp. tomentosa, Crassula rupestris subsp. Kouga rupestris 'form' and Adromischus cristatus var. zeyheri. All species grow at an altitude of 250-500 m.

Because the plants in nature as the sun-exposed areas, and in rock crevices in the shade for our production, we chose polostinné place. Evidently it pictifolii like because although young plant, it is cheerfully to growth, the leaves are beautifully colored and drink. Substrate for cultivation should be the most permeable gravelly and to avoid the waterlogging. Watering the vegetation is performed once every 14 days. This species we have in common with other alojkami and during hot summer days we have witnessed a light mist in the immediate vicinity of plants. Alojku we have yet in a container, but certainly over time, as it grows, it will be transplanted into a low but wide enough terracotta bowl.

beauty-houseleek © 2010