Aloe deltoideodonta var candicans has bloomed!

Frosty:
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Frosty, but not the weather. Aloe deltoideodonta var cadicans (aka var fallax?) has bloomed.  I've had this Aloe at least two years, but this is the first bloom.  The San Marcos website says for them, this species has been "shy to bloom", so it's not just me.  Mine gets along on very little water in the spot where I have it--mostly shade.  I water it about once every six weeks.  I thought the whiteness of the foliage would appreciate plenty of shade, though I don't know if that's true since I've not exposed it to full sun.  It's been beautiful and happy in the conditions I gave it, so why change?  The flower has a white cast to it that agrees with the whiteness in the foliage--look carefully at the flower stem to get a sense of it.  This is a very beautiful small Aloe. 

My photo is prettier than the San Marcos photo!  Wheeee!
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The plant grows very slowly, but offsets well.  It was solitary when I bought it, and now has six or seven offsets.  I read somewhere that offsets trigger the main rosette to stop growing.  This has proven true for my plant.  I wonder if removing the offsets would trigger growing again, but I'm not inclined to disturb the plant just yet. 
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Top view of flower:
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Perhaps even frostier, Echeveria cante has grown.  Any touch whatsoever mars the exquisitely thick farina on the leaves, so I painstakingly pull off the occasional aphid with fine tweezers, and water with fanatical care.  The extra attention is completely worth it.   

My kind of frost:
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Comments

  1. Wow, it's a beauty! I especially love that top view...that flower is perfection with its green stripes and that subtle salmon shading to white. It's hard to tell how large the plant is in the pot, but it looks like a candidate for northern climes if brought indoors over winter.

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  2. Those are in perfect condition. Keep everyone away from your echeveria cante, I find people can't help but touch them to see why they are white!

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  3. The main rosette is maybe 6" in diameter, easily movable.

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  4. both are beautiful specimens, & the aloe flower is gorgeous, you must be a very patient person not to have removed those offsets, they would give me itchy fingers!

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  5. Thanks for the warning, Spiky. I'll be watchful.

    Becc, maybe I'm not patient, maybe I'm just lazy! ;)

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  6. They're just gorgeous! You really give me zone envy!!!

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