Beautiful spiral aloe

Spiral Aloe is a species in the genus Aloe.

Spiral Aloe

Scientific name: Aloe polyphylla

Common Name: Kroonaalwyn(Afrikaans), Spiral Aloe, ekhala kharatsa(seSotho).

Description: Aloe polyphylla is a unique beauty with a spellbinding spiral statement. This rare succulent grows to 3 feet across, with dozens of overlapping leaves that spiral either clockwise or counter-clockwise. The plants do not seem to sucker or produce off-shoots, but from the germination of their seeds they can form small, dense clumps. The fat, wide, serrated, gray-green leaves have sharp, dark leaf-tips. The margins are irregularly toothed. Plants have approximately 150 leaves each, which explains the name “polyphylla”. “Poly” means “many” and “phylla” is Greek for “leaves”. Plants usually flowers in spring and early summer. The plants tolerate snow and temperatures between 10 and 90 degrees F.

Details of Aloe polyphylla

Distribution: This type of aloe is native to Lesotho, Drakensberg mountains of southern Africa.

Importance: The species is highly sought after as an ornamental but is difficult to cultivate and usually soon dies if removed from its natural habitat. In South Africa, buying or collecting the plant is a criminal offense.