Aloe striata Haw.
coral aloe · blouaalwyn (Afr.)
Photo: AVNPlants
Stemless aloe with smooth, toothless blue-green leaves and coral-red winter flowers; very hardy.
What’s in the name: Aloe: an ancient name for these plants, passed down through Greek and Latin; striata: "striped".
“These roses under my window make no reference to former roses or to better ones; they are for what they are; they exist with God to-day.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance – Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series (1841), Project Gutenberg
Available from AVNPlants: see the availability list.
Family
Asphodelaceae
Conservation status
Least Concern, SANBI Red List of South African Plants
Natural distribution & habitat
Subsp. striata: widely distributed in the Eastern and south-western Cape, on stony, rocky hillsides in dry country, both near the sea and in the drier inland Karoo.
Size & form
Stemless rosette of blue-green leaves with smooth, pinkish, toothless margins and fine longitudinal lines (striata simply means "striped").
Flowering
Winter: coral-red flowers on tall, flat-topped inflorescences.
Uses in landscaping
- Waterwise: withstands prolonged drought and extreme frost
- Feature plant for dry, sunny, well-drained beds and rockeries; attractive foliage all year
- Bird gardens
Care notes
Easy. Full sun and good drainage; water adequately but do not over-water. Grows from seed (flowering size in 3–4 years). Watch for snout weevil, white scale and aloe rust, mostly on stressed plants.
Wildlife value
Winter nectar for sunbirds and other nectar-feeding birds when food is scarce.
Find out more
Facts checked against: SANBI PlantZAfrica species page 'Aloe striata'; SANBI Red List of South African Plants, Aloe striata Haw. (assessment 2018/10/30).