Aloe haemanthifolia
Encyclopedia
Aloe haemanthifolia is a critically rare species of Aloe
, native to a few high, inaccessible mountain peaks in the Fynbos
habitat
of Western Cape
, South Africa
.
Small and close to the ground, it often escapes notice or is mistaken for a lily. In fact, its name "haemanthifolia" was given because of its resemblance to the popular Haemanthus
bulbs.
(being the mountainous area from Stellenbosch through to Ceres) but Aloe haemanthifolia occurs further up on the mountain peaks than its larger sister species. The plant seems to prefer cold south-facing slopes with heavy winter rainfall. It grows in sheltered cracks in sandstone ridges, forming dense clumps.
Tucked inside crevices in its natural habitat it is very hardy - surviving both frost and fire. It has a large, strong root stock - meaning that the plant can re-sprout again, even after all of the plant above ground has been totally destroyed by veld
fire.
). In fact, it looks very much like a diminutive, stemless form of the tree-like Aloe plicatilis
. Its compact ranks of leaves are oblong and grey-green in colour, with bright red margins.
It produces bright scarlet flower
s at the end of winter (September up until November in its natural habitat).
Cultivation
It is an incredibly difficult aloe
to cultivate, and it usually soon dies if planted outside of its natural habitat.
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
, native to a few high, inaccessible mountain peaks in the Fynbos
Fynbos
Fynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
of Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Small and close to the ground, it often escapes notice or is mistaken for a lily. In fact, its name "haemanthifolia" was given because of its resemblance to the popular Haemanthus
Haemanthus
Haemanthus is a Southern African genus of Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, with some 22 known species, endemic to South Africa, Namibia and the kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland...
bulbs.
Distribution
Its natural range also nearly matches that of Aloe plicatilisAloe plicatilis
Aloe plicatilis, the Fan Aloe, is a species of aloe endemic to a few mountains in the Fynbos ecoregion, of the Western Cape in South Africa...
(being the mountainous area from Stellenbosch through to Ceres) but Aloe haemanthifolia occurs further up on the mountain peaks than its larger sister species. The plant seems to prefer cold south-facing slopes with heavy winter rainfall. It grows in sheltered cracks in sandstone ridges, forming dense clumps.
Tucked inside crevices in its natural habitat it is very hardy - surviving both frost and fire. It has a large, strong root stock - meaning that the plant can re-sprout again, even after all of the plant above ground has been totally destroyed by veld
Veld
The term Veld refers primarily to the wide open rural spaces of South Africa or southern Africa and in particular to certain flatter areas or districts covered in grass or low scrub...
fire.
Description
Aloe haemanthifolia is small aloe grows its greyish-green, tongue-shaped leaves in a fan shape, similar to its sister species, the Fan Aloe (Aloe plicatilisAloe plicatilis
Aloe plicatilis, the Fan Aloe, is a species of aloe endemic to a few mountains in the Fynbos ecoregion, of the Western Cape in South Africa...
). In fact, it looks very much like a diminutive, stemless form of the tree-like Aloe plicatilis
Aloe plicatilis
Aloe plicatilis, the Fan Aloe, is a species of aloe endemic to a few mountains in the Fynbos ecoregion, of the Western Cape in South Africa...
. Its compact ranks of leaves are oblong and grey-green in colour, with bright red margins.
It produces bright scarlet flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s at the end of winter (September up until November in its natural habitat).
Cultivation
It is an incredibly difficult aloe
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
to cultivate, and it usually soon dies if planted outside of its natural habitat.