Aloe spinosissimaSpider Aloe

The Aloe spinosissima, commonly known as the Spider Aloe, is a suckering shrubby aloe of garden origin, forming dense low clumps of slender stems each topped with a rosette of narrow, recurved, spine-edged grey-green leaves. Slim orange-red flower racemes are carried through the cool season.

It fills ground faster than most aloes at its size and holds a spiky, textural mass that works well on banks and in wide beds. It is used in median and roundabout planting, on slopes and in gravel gardens.

Specifications

• Height0.6 to 1.2 metres
• Width1 to 2 metres, suckering into dense clumps
• Native toOf garden origin, derived from southern African aloe parentage
• FoliageNarrow, recurved, grey-green leaves densely edged and surfaced with pale spines, in rosettes on slender stems; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilRequires well-drained sandy or gravelly soils; rots in heavy or poorly drained ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterLow; strongly drought-tolerant once established
• ClimateThrives in arid, semi-arid and subtropical regions; tolerates light frost

Additional Features

• FlowersSlim orange-red racemes carried through the cool season above the foliage
• UsesMedian and roundabout beds, bank and slope planting, gravel gardens, low textural mass planting
• SpacingPlant 0.8 to 1.2 metres apart for a closed clump within two seasons
• Low MaintenanceRemove spent flower stems and thin the clump occasionally; no feeding required
• Pest ResistanceRobust where drainage is sharp, with few significant problems
• Drought ToleranceHigh, holding foliage and form through extended dry periods
• Wildlife AttractionThe cool season flowers are a useful nectar source for sunbirds and bees
• Erosion ControlThe dense suckering clump holds loose material on banks and slopes

The Spider Aloe gives spiky texture and cool season colour in a plant that fills ground quickly and asks for nothing.