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Aloe fosteri (Large Spotted Aloe) - A usually stemless spotted aloe that has rosettes to 2 to 3 feet wide with attractive 12- to 18-inch-long pale blue-green leaves heavily dotted with cream spots and linear striations (described by Reynolds as "longitudinally elongated H-shaped spots") and reddish-brown marginal teeth. As with most of the spotted aloe the leaf tips dry, turn brown and curl. In fall appears the 3 to 4 ½ feet tall, branched inflorescence that is a dark purplish color covered with a gray powdery bloom and bearing many brightly colored deep-orange and yellow flowers with a bulbous swollen base - the flowers reminds one of candy corns!
Plant in full sun. Give occasional to infrequent irrigation. Hardy to 20° F. This plant is thought by many to be the most attractive of the spotted aloe or maculate group that is named for the most common of the group, Aloe maculata (syn. A. saponaria).
Aloe fosteri's native range is in northeastern South Africa is from Mpuamalanga to the west of the Drakensberg Mountains in northeastern South Africa. Aloe forsteri was named by Neville S. Pillans, for whom Aloe pillansii is named, to honor aloe enthusiast Cyril Foster. Ourt plants are from seed received in 2009 that was collected near Ohrigstad, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa and provided to us by Ruth Bancroft Plant Curator Brian Kemble
The information displayed on this page about Aloe fosteri is based on our research conducted about this plant from books in our nursery library as well as from information that is provided by reliable online resources. We also have included our own observations made about it as it grew in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers when we had them in our nursery field. We also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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