The answer is, “now.” The UCBG has already switched out all its plant tags: In my post I’d been wondering when we would see the new names in botanical gardens, nurseries, etc. It used to be Aloe plicatilis and is now Kumara plicatilis. One of the species that was moved to a new genus is the fan aloe. In December I wrote a post about the reclassification of the genus Aloe. After seeing it in all its winter glory, I have to have one now! Spiral aloe ( Aloe polyphylla), a perfect specimenĪloe aculeata. Spiral aloe ( Aloe polyphylla) growing on a slope with good drainage I’ll make an effort to go back in April to see whether I can catch them in flower then. Often, I must admit, I like the hybrids even better than the species! It must be virtually impossible to prevent species from cross-breeding in an outdoor garden. I almost bought one in Tucson but it gets quite large, as you can see. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Aloe framesii nearby (see above) were one of the parents. Brian Kemble, the curator of the Ruth Bancroft Garden, rates it as hardy to 20☏.Īloe framesii, another aloe that deserves to be planted more widely According to San Marcos Growers, one of my go-to websites for succulent information, it’s hardy to at least 25☏. It’s a pretty plant, and its flowers have an uncommon orange/burnt umber hue. I’ve never seen Aloe castanea in a private garden. I spotted an even larger clump behind the gift shop: The first flower aloe I spotted was right at the entrance, a cat’s tail aloe ( Aloe castanea). After what seemed like weeks of non-stop fog and overcast skies at home, I was so happy to be wandering around in the sun. While it doesn’t have a particularly large aloe collection-certainly nothing that gets close to the Huntington-it’s a beautiful place to visit at any time of year, but particularly this winter when Berkeley has proven to be a more reliable sunny spot than Davis. Last Saturday I had the opportunity to check up on the aloes at the University of California Botanical Garden in Berkeley (UCBG).

Spiral aloe southern california