Aloe perfoliata
Encyclopedia
Aloe perfoliata is a hardy creeping aloe
, found in rocky, mountainous areas throughout the Western Cape
, South Africa
.
This species is the most widespread of a group of closely related "Creeping Aloes", including the cliff-hanging aloes A. meyeri and A. dabenorisana(stemless), as well as spotted Aloe arenicola
of the South African west coast and the unusual Aloe pearsonii
of the Richtersveld
desert.
s have long, prostrate, branching stems of up to 2 meters. Instead of growing upright, they tend to sprawl along the ground and over rocks. While most of the plant lies along the ground, the terminal leaf-bearing head is often erect, facing upwards to the sun. The leaf margins are armed with harmless, little white teeth.
The Rubble Aloe is extremely variable-looking, depending on its environment, making it difficult to identify sometimes.
Plants growing in full sun develop tightly arranged bluish leaves, while those in the shade have more widely spaced green leaves. During dry conditions, the leaves assume a red colour.
The thick, fleshy leaves often curve inwards during times of drought - making the rosette
look rather like a mitre
(until recently this species was known as Aloe mitriformis because of this resemblance).
Unlike most aloes which flower
in winter, the Rubble Aloe flowers in summer
. The red flowers appear on stalks, which (befitting the variable nature of this species) vary from being rounded to being cone-shaped.
and some adjacent areas in the Northern
and Eastern Cape
of South Africa
. Here it typically occurs in mountainous rocky Fynbos
, overflowing into neighboring Karoo
and Albany Thicket vegetation.
They are usually found in groups among rubble
and rocky outcrops (hence their Afrikaans name, "Puin Aalwyn", or "Rubble Aloe"), growing in clay or sandy soil. These resilient plants tend to prefer flat, rocky places but it is not uncommon to see them hanging on vertical cliff
faces.
and wall
s, and it easily survives through both baking summers and snow in the winter.
Well drained rockeries are the ideal place to grow this aloe. They are particularly useful for spreading out and covering large, unsightly areas in a garden.
These aloes are also popular in arid gardens as they flower
in the summer
(unlike most aloes), but to maximise flowering it is best to plant Rubble Aloes in the full sun.
It can easily be propagated by taking stem cuttings. Let the cuttings dry for a day or two and then simply plant them in the sand.
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"....
, found in rocky, mountainous areas throughout the 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...
.
Naming and classification
Aloe perfoliata was formerly known as Aloe mitriformis. The physical appearance of this aloe varies greatly depending on environment, and consequently various sub-populations have previously often been mistaken for being separate species. The South African National Biodiversity Institute now recognizes that these are all members of the same species, Aloe perfoliata, comprising what were previously known as Aloe mitriformis, Aloe distans, Aloe comptonii, Aloe albispina and Aloe flavispina among others.This species is the most widespread of a group of closely related "Creeping Aloes", including the cliff-hanging aloes A. meyeri and A. dabenorisana(stemless), as well as spotted Aloe arenicola
Aloe arenicola
Aloe arenicola is a spotted creeping aloe, indigenous to the arid west-coast of South Africa...
of the South African west coast and the unusual Aloe pearsonii
Aloe pearsonii
Aloe pearsonii is very distinctive and unusual species of Aloe, that is naturally endemic to the arid Richtersveld area, on the border between South Africa and Namibia.It is classified as endangered on the IUCN's Red Data List....
of the Richtersveld
Richtersveld
The Richtersveld is a mountainous desert landscape characterised by rugged kloofs and high mountains, situated in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. It is full of changing scenery from flat sandy plains, to craggy sharp mountains of volcanic rock and the lushness of the Orange River, which...
desert.
Appearance
In their natural habitat, these aloeAloe
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"....
s have long, prostrate, branching stems of up to 2 meters. Instead of growing upright, they tend to sprawl along the ground and over rocks. While most of the plant lies along the ground, the terminal leaf-bearing head is often erect, facing upwards to the sun. The leaf margins are armed with harmless, little white teeth.
The Rubble Aloe is extremely variable-looking, depending on its environment, making it difficult to identify sometimes.
Plants growing in full sun develop tightly arranged bluish leaves, while those in the shade have more widely spaced green leaves. During dry conditions, the leaves assume a red colour.
The thick, fleshy leaves often curve inwards during times of drought - making the rosette
Rosette (botany)
In botany, a rosette is a circular arrangement of leaves, with all the leaves at a single height.Though rosettes usually sit near the soil, their structure is an example of a modified stem.-Function:...
look rather like a mitre
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
(until recently this species was known as Aloe mitriformis because of this resemblance).
Unlike most aloes which 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...
in winter, the Rubble Aloe flowers in summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
. The red flowers appear on stalks, which (befitting the variable nature of this species) vary from being rounded to being cone-shaped.
Distribution
Aloe perfoliata is indigenous to the Western CapeWestern 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...
and some adjacent areas in the Northern
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
and Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
of 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...
. Here it typically occurs in mountainous rocky 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...
, overflowing into neighboring Karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
and Albany Thicket vegetation.
They are usually found in groups among rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
and rocky outcrops (hence their Afrikaans name, "Puin Aalwyn", or "Rubble Aloe"), growing in clay or sandy soil. These resilient plants tend to prefer flat, rocky places but it is not uncommon to see them hanging on vertical cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
faces.
Growing Aloe perfoliata
A very tough and compact species, it looks good growing on embankments, rocky slopesSlope
In mathematics, the slope or gradient of a line describes its steepness, incline, or grade. A higher slope value indicates a steeper incline....
and wall
Wall
A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into rooms, or protects or delineates a space in the open air...
s, and it easily survives through both baking summers and snow in the winter.
Well drained rockeries are the ideal place to grow this aloe. They are particularly useful for spreading out and covering large, unsightly areas in a garden.
These aloes are also popular in arid gardens as they 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...
in the summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
(unlike most aloes), but to maximise flowering it is best to plant Rubble Aloes in the full sun.
It can easily be propagated by taking stem cuttings. Let the cuttings dry for a day or two and then simply plant them in the sand.