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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Aloeaceae (now Asphodeloideae) |
| Origin: Ethiopia (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Red/Purple Foliage: Yes |
| Flower Color: Yellow |
| Bloomtime: Winter/Summer |
| Height: 4-8 feet |
| Width: 3-5 feet |
| Exposure: Full Sun |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Aloe megalacantha (Large-toothed Aloe) A slow growing erect shrub aloe that suckers and branches at the base to eventually can form a shrub to 5 to 7 feet tall but is usually seen smaller. It has 2 foot long pale gray-green recurved deeply channeled (canaliculate) leaves that have large pale dull teeth along the margin. The older leaves colors up reddish in winter when the green tipped pale yellow flowers in large 20-40 inch tall multi branched inflorescences are also most abundant, but flowering can linger on into summer. Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil and water occasionally to not at all. Hardy to around 28° F. An attractive midsized aloe that with time can be useful as a barrier or hedge plant, but is not fast to fill in. A widespread aloe in north-east Ethiopia and north-west Somalia where it grows on rocky hillsides and sandy plains from 3,600 to 6,000 feet elevation. The specific epithet comes from the Greek words 'megas' meaning "large" and 'akantha' meaning "thorn" or "spine" in reference to the large teeth on the leaf margins. Our original plants obtained from the Institute of Aloe Studies in 2012 as Aloe megalacantha IAS09-048.
This information is based on research conducted about this plant in our nursery library and from reliable online sources. We also take into consideration observations of it in our nursery of crops, as well as of plants growing in the nursery's garden and those in other gardens we have visited. We will incorporate comments received from others and welcome getting feedback from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if it includes cultural information that would aid others in growing Aloe megalacantha. |
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