All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Encyclopaedia of Succulents. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.

Aloe humilis
It is a very spectacularly coluoured, suckering, and low-growing aloe.
It is a very desirable kind that produce beautiful flowers regularly in March-April, and sometime later.
 

Leaves are pale blue-green and are  bordered by short translucent white marginal "teeth" and irregularly spaced bumps (tubercules) often arranged in tranverse rows on both the upper and lower surfaces.

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Scientific name:  Aloe humilis Mill.

Common Names include: Spider Aloe, Blue dwarf aloe, Dwarf hedge-hog Aloe.

Origin:   South Africa (Western Cape, Eastern Cape)

Habitat: Grows in the transitional zone in South Africa between summer and winter rainfall areas - the best area from which succulents come.

Etymology: The species name humilis means 'low growing', refering to the plant's growth habit.

Synonyms:

• Aloe subtuberculata
• Aloe humilis var. acuminata
• Aloe humilis var. echinata (Willd.) Bak.
• Aloe humilis var. incurva (Haw.) Bak
• Aloe humilis var. semiguttata
• Aloe humilis var. suberecta
• Aloe humilis var. subtuberculata
• Aloe suberecta var. acuminata
• Aloe humilis var. semiguttata
• Aloe tuberculata
• Aloe incurva
• Aloe acuminata
• Aloe humilis var. candollei
• Aloe humilis var. minor
• Aloe acuminata var. major
• Catevala humilis
• Aloe humilis
• Aloe humilis var. humilis
• Aloe perfoliata var. humilis
• Aloe suberecta, Aloe echinata

Description: Aloe humilis is a low growing heavily suckering succulent that forms crowded clusters. This clustering aloe is a wonderful little species that has very large blooms compared to the size of the plant. It is a very variable species that remains small through the entire life cycle .
Stem: Virtually acaulescent (stemless) or very shortly stemmed.
Rosettes: Up to 20 cm in diameter.
Leaves: 20-30 per rosette, short, ascending, small about 7-12 cm long and 1-1,8 cm wide, pale blue-green or grey-green, soft, ovate to triangular shaped, obscurely lineate, very accuminate, incurved, with thin soft white marginal spines about 3 mm long and a gray-green dewy, waxy surface covered with irregularly spaced bumps (tubercules) often arranged in tranverse rows on both the upper and lower surfaces.
Flowers: About 20 pendulous, bright orange-scarlet, tubular up to 4-5 cm long, arranged loosely on top of a 20-35 cm tall spike.
Blooming season: Late winter to spring and sometime later,
 

Cultivation:  Easy to grow, requiring very little care. It can be grown in large containers. Always use a good quality, loamy sandy soil with plenty of drainage chips at the bottom of containers. It tolerates weekly watering in the summer; once a month, or not at all in the colder months of December and January. Can withstand long periods of drought, but they will thrive and flower more profusely if watered in the correct season. Incorrect watering, poor drainage or too much shade can lead to attack by pests and diseases. They can take a few degrees of frost in winter as well, but prefer hot summers. It grows much better outdoors in spring and summer.
In mild climates it can be cultivated outdoors for use in landscaping, preferably planting it in hot and dry rock gardens. They will grow best in regions with a climate close to that of their native deserts  not too cold, and not too wet.

Propagation: Almost exclusively by division of larger clumps, in trays of coarse river sand.

Uses:

• Gardening: Excellent on patio or as landscape or rock garden subject. This is a great aloe for rocky, exposed areas of the garden where you want some non-green colour.

All the information and photos in cactus art files are now available also in the new the Encyclopaedia of Succulents. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.