PlantFiles: Clanwilliam Aloe
Aloe comosa

This Aloe seems to like the arid conditions of the Phoenix area in Arizona. The plant in my photos is rather small but has flowered at least twice prior and this year sent up TWO inflors. This plant is in the yard of a friend and we're both rather surprised it survived the evil frost of 2007.
Aloe comosa, by the way, does not sucker. ;-)

-j.

I have grown 3 of these. All were acquired at fairly mature sizes. One is flowering size has not flowered for me.

In Southern California these should not be given any water from the top for the first couple of months in the summer. The morning dew will stand in the growth center of the plant. The growth center is highly vernerable during this period of the summer and rot sets in within a day or so.

I water it lightly from the base beginning in late August. Light June rain can cause rot if the growth center is not dried as soon as possible. I use shop towels to absorb all the water in the top as soon as the weather clears up.

bob
:>

Attractive short-stemmed aloe with pale blue-green leaves to pink in winter. Has some spines up middle of ventral leaf surface, and marginal spines. Enventually, with many years, will form an unbranched trunk. Rare in cultivation, as well as the wild. Most distinguishing characteristic (which I have yet to witness) are the exceptionally tall, unbranched racemes of pale pink flowers in summer (flowers can be up to 9' tall)... as Porphyrostachys mentioned, does not sucker (not sure why I said it did, earlier).