Aloe plicatilis / 5 seeds

Endemic to a few mountains in the Fynbos ecoregion of the Western Cape in South Africa and areas receiving high winter rainfall, and winner of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit, Aloe plicatilis, an evergreen succulent, looks lovely and different than other aloes because its leaves don’t grow in rosettes, but in the shape of fans on its grey colored trunk. Hence this beautiful plant is called fan aloe which is no longer considered as an aloe. Even the epithet plicatilis means ‘foldable’ and refers to the fan-shaped leaves.

However, this is considered to be a misnomer because the leaves do not plicate or fold. These leaves are oblong and grow upwards. Over time, the old lower leaves die and fall off and the trunk is exposed. Aloe plicatilis blooms from late winter to early spring when it looks like fire because of the masses of crimson to orange vermillion, tubular flowers which look like flames and rise out of each leaf cluster on tall, solitary stems. The flowers are rich with nectar and hence attract and are pollinated by sunbirds, other birds and bees and many other insects. The grey trunks of this plant have corky bark which is fire resistant. The branches fork in pairs without any central leader; this pattern is known as ‘dichotomous’ branching. The branches produce masses of oblong, succulent, tongue-shaped leaves arranged in 2 opposite rows in the shape of fans. Leaves are grey-green in color, 300mm x 40mm with tiny marginal teeth that you can notice only on close observation. Their tips are often orange colored. Aloe plicatilis can grow as a large multistemmed shrub or as a small tree and is deer resistant.

Fan aloe is now included in the Kumara genus and not considered as an aloe. So, its new name is Kumara plicatilis. It’s one of the two species in the genus Kumara.

Aloe plicatilis is virtually disease-free, although susceptible to root rot if grown in wet soil. Also scale insects, aphids, snails, slugs and mealybugs can attack the plant.

Aloe plicatilis has water needs typical to any succulent. The ‘soak and dry’ method is the most recommended method of watering i.e., to allow the soil to completely dry out between waterings. Summer is the dormancy period for this plant, and hence you should water sparingly.

Aloe plicatilis can be propagated from seeds and stem cuttings. You can sow the seeds outdoors if you live in a zone above 9a, but if you live in a cooler area, you should sow them indoors on a seed mat under a grow light.