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Aloe reitzii (Reitz's Aloe) - A robust stemless plant, usually with a single rosette to 3 feet tall, with long relatively broad silvery blue-green leaves with reddish teeth along the margins. In summer appears the spectacular inflorescence that branches near its base (2 to 6 times) with each stem becoming a vertical spike rising well above the foliage and holding dark red to orange-red down-curved flowers that lie flat against the stems with the oldest flowers turning yellow at the tips starting from the bottom of the spike. Young plants may produce only one raceme, but older plants can produce multiple racemes, further enhancing a spectacular sight.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and irrigate rarely to occasionally. According to Brian Kemble this plant has proven hardy in cultivation at the Ruth Bancroft Garden down to 20F. A great plant for the dry garden or as a container specimen, though seed grown plants can take up to 7 years to mature and begin blooming. It is unusual because of its downturned flowers and because it blooms in summer, while most other Aloes are fall, winter or spring blooming.
This plant has a restricted distribution in a very small area on rocky slopes in the grasslands near the Belfast district of Mpumalanga in northern KwaZulu-Natal. 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. Gilbert Reynolds named this plant in 1943 to honor Francis William Reitz, then the South African Minister of Agriculture and nephew of the president of the Orange Free State, with whom he shared the same last name. There is also a winter-blooming form of this plant called Aloe reitzii var. vernalis that comes from The Vryheid District to the south. Gilbert Reynolds named this plant in 1943 to honor Francis William Reitz, then the South African Minister of Agriculture and nephew of the president of the Orange Free State, with whom he shared the same name. We have grown this attractive hardy aloe since 2011.
This information about Aloe reitzii 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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