Aloe arborescens

[Spination]

Another year, another shot at a successful bloom. Given that this is a late year bloomer, and the threat of too cold temps, last year's bloom was aborted and just plain quit about half way through.
Big surprise... I went away for this last weekend, and was surprised to see this year's attempt at blooming well underway upon my return. Hopefully, all will be completely successful this time around. We've had a few sub 40F nights so far, but above freezing to date.
Will be alert for freezing temps for all my outdoor Aloe, and will be using make-shift plastic covers to get through the worst nights that will be sure to come around sooner or later.
The red tips you see on this plant are from the recent near 32F couple of nights experienced.

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Back in 2014, I learned the hard way after too many consecutive days of rain without relief that these plants are not built for soggy conditions without breaks to dry out. All the lower leaves rotted, leaving an exposed trunk, which has been in sucker producing mode, more and more over the last year.

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[Azuleja]

It's very pretty. I think the pups at the base are a good look. We've been similar to you I think, but with less rain. There were two nights of light frost last week, back up to the low 40s, and I see a low of 27 forecast within the next week.

[Jkwinston]

You are very lucky to at least have signs of blooms; I never get that far. At this time of the year, all I have is cold weather and a lot of rain. Last year I left a few plants outdoors in a protected corner close to the house, and this year I will do the same this year. I will cover the lot with a bit plastic, or bubble. Jkw
,
PS. Rather surprisingly, the photos would not upload. Oh, I see them now.

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[Stan]

Not near freezing here,yet, 43f has been our coldest in a month's 52f low average. But lots of rain..I had lower older leafs spot up. A. a.variegata. Late October pic with spots.

[Spination]

Nice little forest of them you got going there Winston. I have 1/2 dozen of the variegated, but the one bloomer is the largest by far, making me think that blooming might be a function of an age/maturity factor.

I also have just over 30 individually potted non-variegates, ranging from 1 gal and up to 5 gal, like the ones pictured below, but apparently not yet mature enough for blooming. I'm really hoping that in another year, they too will start blooming....I think it would be really nice to have them blooming en masse.

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A few like this are also going crazy producing suckers. I might start removing a few and get even more rooted.

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Stan, that's a very nice variegation pattern. Very nice!

[Jkwinston]

Hello! I know these aloes are not arborescens. I have long lost the only variegated A arborescens I had, but I will like to name this one. There are only two plants left from the group I had, which grow slowly and with some difficulty, very top heavy and rarely branching. Have a look and come up with a name. Jkw

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[Paul S]

It looks to me like the plant that is mis-sold in Europe as Aloe mitriformis 'variegata'. The name I would use is Aloe x nobilis 'Variegata' but a recent idea was that all this group are inseparable - distans, mitriformis, x nobilis etc - and should now all be called Aloe 'perfoliata group'. So stick a dart in whichever name takes your fancy, Winston.

[Spination]

My guess is we are talking about the more or less readily available variegated form of Aloe Nobilis. Yours and mine feature the longer and narrower leaves of more shade grown specimens, as opposed to the more compact specimens grown in sun. I tend to be rather protective of my variegates, so they are grown in shelter. Here is one of mine...

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Mitriformis is supposedly something different, hard to tell apart, and I couldn't say I'm expert enough to say one way or the other that yours isn't or is one or the other.

Here's the one I acquired as A. mitriformis, but even today I can't tell you definitely what is the difference, other than the name it came with when acquired, and that is trusting that it came with the right name, which is debatable.

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[Spination]

Paul, thanks for that extra info. I was aware of all but the Aloe perfoliata group, so that is nice to know as well.

[Spination]

Here's today's early AM frosty shot of an outdoor grown x Nobilis, which gets superior lighting, but only direct sun for part of the day. By the way, this is one of my absolute most cold-hardy Aloes, possibly more so than the known cold hardy A. striatula. Even down to 18F, I've never seen a speck of damage ever on one of these.
Clear is the difference in leaf shape, which would become even more compact in a sunnier yet location (have a lot of these, so I have ample opportunity to see their form in various lighting situations, in the exact same clone).

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Also, not one to pass up the opportunity to confuse things further, here is a current photo of A. brevifolia Variegated. The only difference I can say for sure between this plant and my several x Nobilis Variegated, is that all the Nobilis feature green as the non-variegated color, even among a quite diverse group of variegation pattern and prevalence (including almost all yellow).
This plant here is much more blue, and not so much green. Again, I am in the position of trusting the ID that the plant came with when acquired. Due to the sources of my various plants, I am more inclined not to doubt the IDs as correct, but maintain the possibility they are not.
Indoor grown, no doubt why these leaves are not as "brevi" as they should be. I am happy to sacrifice form over sun damage in my variegates anytime, and every time.

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[Jkwinston]

Thanks Paul for the up to date overview, and in many ways I did suspect it will involve a degree of confusion when it comes to names. I am taking it for granted that the variegated aspect of the plant comes from Aloe brevifolia. I am puzzled somewhat by the differing varieties of variegation, also suspecting that could be accidental. Or is it? Maybe there is someone in a specialist nursery turning these plants out. I have also come across the name 'perfiolata' before, though it was mentioned in conjunction with the non-variegated plants. Will that name hold?

Thanks Tom. I don't remember whether my plant had a name tag or not. What I remembered particularly that it was very different from the very regular Aloe arborescens, which I had at that time. Thanks for the photos. Jkw

PS. I will have to look to see if I still have that variegated brevifolia.

[Spination]

Regarding your question of variation of variegation within Aloe x Nobilis, the answer is that the expression of the mutation (variegation) is random from one individual to another.
Here's a perfect example depicting one of mine I've allowed it's pups to remain attached.
First, there's variation within the plant itself, as new leaves grow out of the rosette, they are not guaranteed to display the same variegation as earlier leaves, in fact...probably more guaranteed than not to be different.

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Second, look at the variation of variegation from one offset/sucker to another, more or less dependent on the genetic makeup of the cells present from where the sucker emanates. A more green side of the plant will more likely produce less variegated suckers, and more variegated sides more likely to produce more variegated suckers.
Here are 2 side views as I turn the pot to show one side, and then the other.

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[Jkwinston]

Thanks Tom. Absolutely amazing, the colour of the suckers and the plant reproducing young ones at that size. As you can see, I have a much bigger plant which so far has done nothing, even after two years. Jkw

[Stan]

2 years J for A.mitriformis is fast. I have the green and it had to be 5 years before it flowered- or something like that. And here in the 15 or so year,its pupping for the first time. I also have A.nobilis and thats fast at everything for a small Aloe. Mine are close to species since those two don't look alike at all to me.

[MSX]

Hello, how do you think guys removing all pups-offshoots-suckers regularly from the parent plant will increase chances of single-stemmed Aloe arborescens blooming? (potted)

[Spination]

No, I don't think so. Seasonality and lighting/photoperiod influence blooming in my opinion. I would try maximizing the lighting. Some aloes I've found won't bloom if they don't receive enough sun/lighting - for example - shade grown.

[MSX]

No, I don't think so. Seasonality and lighting/photoperiod influence blooming in my opinion. I would try maximizing the lighting. Some aloes I've found won't bloom if they don't receive enough sun/lighting - for example - shade grown.

Thanks! In terms of blooming I have had great success with other aloe species such as aristata, dalaetii and saponaria, they are perfect spring-summer bloomers. Now my goal is to find a way to make my arborescens bloom too. I browsed the Internet and I found some pictures of single stemmed blooming arborescens so I thought it might make sense.

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