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[2nd Image]
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| Category: Succulent |
| Family: Aloeaceae (now Asphodeloideae) |
| Origin: Angola (Africa) |
| Evergreen: Yes |
| Flower Color: Salmon |
| Bloomtime: Fall/Winter |
| Height: 4-5 feet |
| Width: 3-4 feet |
| Exposure: Sun or Shade |
| Summer Dry: Yes |
| Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs |
| Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F |
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Aloe palmiformis (Angolan Krantz Aloe) A sparsely clustering aloe branching at the base with upright slender stems to 4 to 5 feet tall topped with open few leafed rosettes of 1 foot long by 1 to 2 inch wide recurved glossy olive-green leaves that have prominent well-spaced sharp brown teeth along the margins and can blush reddish when drought stressed. In late fall and early winter the sparsely branched inflorescence rises to 1 to 2 feet above the leaves with cylindrical racemes holding red-orange colored buds that open to display lighter salmon orange colored flowers. Plant in full sun in moderately well drained soil and irrigate occasionally to infrequently. This plant is not widely cultivated so its cold hardiness is not well known but we it has proven hardy to 30° F at our nursery and likely will tolerate short duration temperatures below this. This aloe is attractive in flower and has an unusual form that likewise is attractive and interesting. It is also rarely seen in cultivation and is good for collectors. Aloe palmiformis is n to rocky outcrops in on sandstone formations and woodlands in southwestern Angola between 4,000 and 5,000 feet in elevation. It was first described by British botanist John Gilbert Baker with the name published in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London 1 in 1878. The common name krantz aloe refers to its habitat, a krantz being a rocky ridge or cliff. Other aloes share this common name, including the common Aloe arborescens. In Gideon F. Smith and Estrela Figueiredo' s article "Aloe palmiformis: an endemic krantz aloe from Angola" in the Winter 2011 isssue of the Journal of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America make reference to similarity of these two species, noting that plants of Aloe palmiformis from the Tundavala region of Angola "resemble specimens of the form of the variable Aloe arborescens where they grow in Mpumalanga in South Africa". The type specimen of Aloe palmiformis was collected 1n 1872 by Friedrich Welwitsch, who is the namesake for the curious primitive cone bearing Welwitschia mirabilis, which he also first discovered in Anglola where he also discovered Rhipsalis baccifera, the only known cactus found growing naturally in the old world. Welwitsch noted when he collected this aloe that it was "one of the most lovely species which, when not yet in bloom, resembles a pretty little palm". Smith and Figueiredo note that Welwtsch's "brief description is very apt and sums up the allure of this species, which, with a bit of imagination, indeed resembles a small palm tree" They also noted however that not all see it this way and in particularly that aloe authority and author Gilbert Westacott Reynolds wrote "Welwitsch originally stated that this species resembled a pretty little palm - hence the name, but I could not see the resemblance". Our plants from an August 2012 distribution by the Institute for Aloe Studies as Aloe palmiformis IAS12-022.
This information about Aloe palmiformis 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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