Aloe "grenadensis"

Aloe camperi (?)

I bought this Aloe tagged as Aloe grenadensis.  I looked around various sources for an Aloe grenadensis, and couldn't find anything other than the grower who produced my specimen.  Someone commented that it could be a made-up name, and that it is most probably Aloe camperi.  "Grenadensis" implies the island of Grenada, and there are no Aloes native to Grenada.   Aloe is genus of  the Eastern, not the Western Hemisphere.   I don't know enough about Aloes to know what is right, but I know I don't like "common" names or made up names for plants, because they create confusion.  I'm confused about this Aloe, so there you go. 

Aloe camperi (?)

Further reading indicated that Aloe camperi is also called Aloe eru, and by one 19th century plant hunter, Lamarck, A. abbysinica.   Further internet search yields photos of Aloes by these names, some of which look like my plant, and some of which do not.  If this has not made your eyes glaze over yet,  then you are a heck of a plant lover. 

I like exact knowledge of what plant I have for one simple reason:  to learn what will likely be the best place in my garden to plant it, and how to treat it in regards to watering and care.   At least in my garden, 90% of a plant's success is placing it in the right spot.  The remaining 10% is my skill, which lets you know how skilled I am at actually growing something.

Aloe camperi (?)

But back to A. camperi.  It's an unusual green for an aloe, which are commonly of a duskier, bluer, darker, or greyer green.  A. camperi is a bright limey green, with orange teeth.   I've put it into a very dry spot with perfect (instant) drainage, so I may be watering it a lot this summer to keep it alive.  But for now it's happy, and the blooms are beautiful. 

Aloe camperi (?)

Aloe camperi (?)

Comments

  1. Whatever its name, it is lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the color! Thanks for participating in Succulent Sunday!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Replies
    1. Hi Francisco!

      A. massawana is not commonly grown here. Could be, though. I am no expert.

      Or perhaps a garden hybrid? The source of this plant was not fastidious as to names, sometimes a problem.

      I still incline to A. camperi due to comparing it with the clump marked as A. camperi growing in the Desert Garden at the Huntington; Mine blooms at the exact same time (late Spring) as that plant, and the foliage and flower are the same.

      The clump in the photo is about 4x the size now, fun to look back and see it at planting.

      Thanks for commenting!

      Delete
    2. Ah, forgot to mention one davesgarden comment said A. massawana snakes along the ground--not seeing that with mine 8 years after planting.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Always interested in your thoughts.

Any comments containing a link to a commercial site with the intent to promote that site will be deleted. Thank you for your understanding on this matter.