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Aloe 'Spiney' - An upright branching succulent shrub aloe that grows to at least 3 to 4 feet tall by nearly as wide with 18 to 24 inch wide rosettes of stout and broad pale-green slightly channeled and recurved leaves that are covered on all surfaces with pale white to reddish brown teeth, making it quite spiney looking, as its cultivar name implies. In winter arise stout low branched inflorescences that rise several feet above the foliage, bearing spikes of dark red orange buds that open from the bottom up to display apricot-colored flowers.
Plant in full sun in a well-drained soil where it requires little to no supplemental irrigation in coastal California gardens. It should be hardy to 20-25°F - though not tested by us for cold hardiness this plant's parents are hardy to such temperatures. This is a stunningly showy plant in flower and its spiney leaves make it still very attractive when not.
Aloe 'Spiney' is a David Verity hybrid resulting from the crossing of Aloe × spinosissima with Aloe marlothii. Aloe × spinosissima is itself a hybrid of Aloe humilis (the toothy form known as variety echinata) and Aloe arborescens. The Aloe arborescens parentage is responsible for the light-green leaf color of both Aloe × spinosissima and this hybrid and Aloe marlothii and Aloe humilis give it the spiney look with the Aloe humilis likely responsible for the reduced leaf size that makes this plant look a lot like a smaller version of one of the spinier forms of Aloe marlothii. The Huntington Botanical Gardens received this plant in 1992 from UCLA biologist Boyd Walker, who had planted a number of David Verity's hybrids in his Pacific Palisades garden. They micropropagated (tissue cultured) it for distribution in 2014 through their International Succulent Introduction (ISI) program and it is listed on their ISI distribution website as Aloe 'Spiney' ISI 2014-15.
Our original stock plant was purchased from the Huntington Botanical Gardens with their accession number HBG 73679 at the garden's Succulent Symposium in 2016 and we began selling it in 2024. A plant growing at Jeff Chemnick's Aloes in Wonderland originally came from Bill and Donna Baker's California Gardens Nursery in 2018, and that Jeff has called 'Dill Prickles', is thought to be this same cultivar or possibly a sister seedling that Bill Baker may have also received from Dave Verity. We have created the Dill Prickles Comparison Page with pictures and discussion about this.
The information displayed on this page about Aloe 'Spiney' 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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