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Aloe brevifolia var. depressa (Large Short-leaved Aloe) - A rosette-forming succulent from South Africa with rosettes of gray leaves that build up on each other to form a large clump about 1 foot tall and several feet wide. This is the largest of the Aloe brevifolia forms with rosettes that get at least 6 inches wide, about twice the size of the smaller and more common Aloe brevifolia var. brevifolia, and it is described as getting even wider in habitat . The rosettes are also a bit more open than the smaller cousin, but both have thick pale gray leaves that are broadly triangular in shape and have white teeth along the margins and the keel of the lower surface. In the late spring appear spikes of orange tubular flowers in un-branched spikes that rise 16 to 24 inches.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil. Irrigate only occasionally - this is a drought tolerant mediterranean climate plant. Has proven hardy to 25 degrees F (from 3 nights down to this temperature in the winter of 2007) but is not considered much hardier than this. This is a nice small-scale groundcover aloe or specimen for the ground or a pot.
The species was one of the first aloes to be successfully cultivated in Europe and received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit in 2002. This variety comes from around Caledon in the mild winter rainfall Overberg region of southern end of the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The name for the variety is the Latin word meaning "depressed" and is thought to come from either the observation that the rosette appears more vertically flattened or that the leaves are not as thick as the typical variety. See our listing for the smaller typical form, which we also grow, on our Aloe brevifolia var. brevifolia page for more information about this plant. Our thanks to John Trager at the Huntington Botanic Garden for providing our original stock on this plant.
This information about Aloe brevifolia var. depressa displayed on this web page is based on research we have conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations we have made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how our crops have performed in containers in the nursery field. Where appropriate, we will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.
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