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Aloe striatula 'Burly' (Hardy Aloe) - A succulent shrub to 6 feet tall by at least this wide with a dense low-branching habit and attractive dark green decurved leaves that have small white teeth along the margins and with the leaf bases clasping the attractively longitudinally green-striped stems. The brilliant yellow inflorescence rises above the foliage typically in late spring into summer, but we often have stray flowering plants at other times of the year. This form of the species was noted to have more robust stems and leaves than the more commonly cultivated form.
Plant in full sun in a well drained-soil and irrigate infrequently to not at all - this is a drought tolerant plant. It is cold Hardy to 15 degrees F or even a little lower - the smaller form of this Aloe is being grown into zone 7 by those who like to push the limits of plant hardiness as it is thought to be one of the hardier of the shrub aloes.
Aloe striatula come from the Karoo to the Eastern Cape Province in South African and in the mountains of southern Lesotho. The name Aloe comes from ancient Greek name aloe that was derived from the Arabian word 'alloch' that was used to describe the plant or its juice that was used as medicine and the specific epithet comes from the characteristic stripes on the sheaths of the stems.
In an interesting twist of nomenclature, a recent article in the Journal >i>Phytotaxa 76 (1): 7–14 (2013), titled "A revised generic classification for Aloe (Xanthorrhoeaceae subfam. Asphodeloideae)" proposes that this plant be taken out of the genus aloe and be given the name Aloiampelos striatula (Haw.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm., comb. Nov. var. striatula and the other scrambling aloes (A. ciliaris, A. commixta, A. gracilis, A. juddii and A. tenuior) be also put in the genus Aloiampelos, all of the tree aloes (Aloe barberae, A. dichotoma, A. eminens, A. pillansii, A. ramosissima and A. tongaensis ) be placed in the genus Aloidendron and that Aloe plicatilis, the popular Fan Aloe, to be renamed Kumara disticha, a name that was used to described it by the German botanist Friedrich Kasimir Medikus in 1786. Until such time as this name change gets wider recognition, we continue to call this plant by its original name. This robust form came to us from Aloe hybridizer John Bleck. San Marcos Growers first introduced this plant to the horticultural trade in 2013.
This information about Aloe striatula 'Burly' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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