Scientific Name
Aloiampelos tenuior var. rubriflora
Accepted Scientific Name
Aloiampelos tenuior (Haw.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm.
Common Name(s)
Fence Aloe
Synonym(s)
Aloe tenuior var. rubriflora
Scientific Classification
Family: Asphodelaceae
Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
Genus: Aloiampelos
Description
Aloiampelos tenuior var. rubriflora, formerly known as Aloe tenuior var. rubriflora, is a bushy succulent with lance-shaped leaves crowded in lax rosettes at the end of slender, irregularly branched, semi-woody stems. It grows up to 5 feet (1.5 m) tall with support and spreads to 6 feet (1.8 m). The stems arise from a large woody rootstock, grow to 10 feet (3 m) long, and take root along nodes upon contact with the ground. Leaves are grayish-green with tiny white teeth along the margins. They are up to 6 inches (15 cm) long and 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) wide.
Flowers are orange-red to red and appear on slender, unbranched racemes throughout the year, mainly in winter. They are tubular, up to 0.8 inches (2 cm) long, and up to 0.15 inches (0.4 cm) in diameter. Fruits are small papery dehiscent capsules with a few tiny seeds.
Origin
Aloiampelos tenuior var. rubriflora is native to South Africa. However, it is not recognized as a variety and is treated as a red-flowered form of Aloiampelos tenuior.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 9b to 11b: from 25 °F (−3.9 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Due to their hardiness and the wide range of flower colors, these slender succulents have become popular ornamental plants in South African gardens. The commoner species (such as, the more widespread Aloes of the Eastern Cape) are increasingly grown in gardens overseas.
Climbing Aloes require a sunny, well-drained position and are particularly suitable for rockeries. The taller, climbing species are commonly planted along fences and boundaries, growing through the surrounding foliage. However, the lower, rambling species are better suited for rockeries, slopes, or terraces, which they will naturally cascade down over.
They can easily be propagated by taking cuttings as well as by seed. Climbing Aloes generally have male and female flowers on each plant, but an individual plant is usually not self-fertile. However, some species are also inter-fertile and can thus form hybrids.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Climbing Aloes.
Links
- Back to genus Aloiampelos
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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