(Editor's Note: This article was originally published on November 20, 2007. Your comments are welcome, but please be aware that authors of previously published articles may not be able to respond to your questions.)
The following photos are of aloes with cultivational or species names that start with the lettes 'D' through the letter 'L'. For more aloe flowers, please see the other 3 articles on this subject
This is a beautiful hybrid aloe called Aloe David Verity (after it's hybridizer, I think)- most likely an Aloe arborescens hybrid as the plant looks very similar
David Verity hybrids are common, this being one with Aloe marlothii
this Aloe David Verity x marlothii makes incredibly colorful flowers in winter
Aloe dawei is another orange-flowering species with multiple, branching inflorescences and symmetrically arranged, open columnar racemes that resemble ladders in silohuette
close up at night of Aloe dawei flower
Though the sign says Aloe behrana, that is a synonym of Aloe debrana, one of the more brilliantly colorful non-South African aloes in terms of its flowers.
close up of Aloe debrana racemes before the flowers actaully open up (mid winter)
Now flowers are further along
this is a flower of a 'species' called Aloe decaryi... which is not officially a species since it is so variable... probably a hybrid. But a prolific flowerer... and plant is wonderfully turquoise as well
Aloe deltoideodonta is a very popular aloe with growers since it so easily hybridizes... sadly it does not have one of the more beautiful flowers
This little delicate flower belongs to a hybrid of Aloe descoingsii, another popular aloe used in hybridization and possibly the smallest of all aloes
a mature Aloe dichotoma in full flower is a fantastic sight as the tree itself is so impressive
It is hard to appreciate the beauty of these flowers except in smaller trees, or by telephoto as the flowers are usually hidden partially within the leaves
Aloe dinteri, the Namibian Partridge Aloe, has a huge inflorescence compared to the size of the plant itself, but it is also delicately flowered with numerous, very open pale pink racemes, throughout summer and fall
Aloe dioli is another example of a species not from South Africa with pleasant but not amazing flowers... but a prolific flowerer nonetheless
The aloes from Madagascar are some of the most beautiful in the world, and some have incredible flowers, too. This is Aloe divariacata in winter
The flowers themselves are not to impressive, existing in very open racemes.. but the inflorescences are highly branched, and the plant is a branching one, so there is a massive number of flowers in winter
this is one of the few aloes whose flower pretty matches the leaf color- Aloe dorothea- though leaf color can turn bright green depending on conditions
Aloe dyeri is a spotted aloe from South Africa with a large inflorescence of pink flowers
Aloe elegans is a pleasant, stemless aloe with few differentiating characteristics, but produces these wonderful flowers in late winter
Aloe ellenbeckii flowers are very short-lived structures but nicely colored surprises for such a ground-cover-like aloe
it is unlikely most readers will get to see one of these in person as it is the flower of Aloe eminens, a very rare but massive tree aloe from Somalia
probably one of the most striking of all the flowering tree aloes is Aloe excelsa. This plant kinly dropped its inflorescence to eye level so it could be photographed more closely
this is a shot of a the more normal presentation of this species in winter. See also the top photo in this article as that is also an Aloe excelsa
Aloe excelsas can sometimes have orange or even yellow flowers. Here are three orange flowering trees in February, southern California
Here is a particularly old and majestic Aloe excelsa in winter
this fantastically colored hybrid is Aloe excelsa and something unknown- the flowers are almost a flourescent orange
Probably one of the most commonly grown tree aloes is Aloe ferox, and it certainly has some amazing flowers in winter
Aloe candelabrum is a synonym for Aloe ferox and this gentleman is showing the size of these tree aloes labeled as Aloe candelabrum in Los Angeles
This is a close up of some variation of Aloe ferox with bicolored flowers. Aloe ferox is one of the most commonly hybridized tree aloes, either intentionally, or accidentally
another wonderful color variation of this species
this striking individual is a hybrid Aloe ferox (called 'open hybrid', meaning with what other aloe?- who knows!)
another fantastic hybrid Aloe ferox
this hybrid is at least known: Aloe ferox x spicata. The flowers are most definitely spicata-like- unbranching tall compact narrow racemes
Aloe flexifolia has brilliantly red flowers but not in winter as with most of the above species, but in summer to early fall
though not normally grown for its pale to deep pink flowers, this bizarre, sometimes nearly black plant at least flowers much of the year while most other aloes do not (Aloe fleurentiniorum)
Aloe fosteri is probably the most amazingly decorated, in terms of flower color, of all the South African spotted aloes, a group which usually sports dull pinkish flowers.
close-up of Aloe fosteri flower in winter, showing the remarkable colors
this raceme is nearly spent near the end of the season for blooming of this species
Aloe framesii is a relatively rarely grown South African speckled aloe, but its flowers are quite attractive
The shrot racemes of Aloe glauca open and detriorate from bottom to top, making them somewhat less than beautiful
Still, the flowers are a nice contrast to the particularly turquoise color of this plant
this is one of the more peculiar aloe flowers belonging to Aloe globuligemma
The racemes are one sided, on a uniformly branching inflorescence
Peculiar or not, the flowers are still attractive. The plant is nice, too, being a gracefully urn-shaped blue green stemless aloe
Aloe grandidentata is another South African spotted aloe that is quite difficult to tell apart from other spotted aloes, but the flowers are shorter and deep pink
So many spotted South African aloes look alike, and many of their flowers do, too... This is one of the many forms of Aloe greatheadii... just a tad redder than Aloe greenii
and Aloe greenii is not all that unique looking either (another spotted South African aloe), but the inflorescences are large and a nice pink color
Of course, flowers are often how certain aloes are differentiated. This aloe, Aloe harlana, is a relatively rare aloe from central Africa, but is one of about 5 very similar looking shiny-leaved striped/spotted aloes
However its flowers are uniqued deep purplish red (some forms are orange) and sort of lantern-shaped (orange forms more traditionally conical)
None of the other stiped/spotted aloes have flowers like this, and many aloes that look like this are incorrectly identified as this species, but have pale pink flowers
this is also Aloe harlana, despite the flowers looking substantially different... but still unique for the striped/spotted aloe group
This is Aloe hemmingii and the aloe most often incorrectly identified as Aloe harlana- note the pink flowers. This plant flowers off and on year round
Aloe hendrickxii is a fairly rare species but with pleasant orange flowers in fall- from the more tropical sections of Africa
This is not really a recognized species (Aloe 'heteracantha') but it has strikingly orange conical racemes- no other aloe has flowers quite like it
though not in possesion of one of the most ornamental flowers, Aloe hildebrandii at least has flowers year round, making it one of the few species that do this
This flower, though not huge, is still comically large for the dinky plant it comes out of (Aloe humilis)
though the plants are nicely maroon in times of stress, this mid-African aloe (Aloe imalotensis) does not have the most ornamental flowers
Aloe isaloensis has extremely open racemes and the same colors a lot of smaller aloes have
This is Aloe inyangensis, one of the easiest grass aloes to grow in southern California. The color scheme is a common one for grass aloes
Aloe jucunda is a wonderfully ornamental dwarf aloe- the pale pink open racemes are not this plant's strong point
Aloe kedongensis is a summer flowerer and has short, head-shaped open racemes
Aloe labworana is one of the few aloes that has large branching inflorescences with yellow flowers
Close-up of this curious raceme that seems one-sided and laterally oriented- this is unique flower
Aloe lineata has solitary, unbranching inflorescences in summer- one of the few tree aloes to bloom that time of year
though this is an Aloe lineata hybrid, it has a lot of resemblence to the mother plant's flowers
Aloe littoralis is another 'tree aloe' that takes many years to get there... but it also has spectacular flowers.. though this is a hybrid of it with the same shaped inflorescence, but a bit more spectacular flower color
Aloe longistyla is sort of an 'ugly dwarf' aloe... but its flowers are amazing, not just for their ornamental value, but also how they dwarf the rest of the plant
last, but not least in this alphabetical snippet of aloes is Aloe lutescens. These have bicolored narrow conical racemes that look quite impressive in mass plantings
Here is a closer view of these amazing flowers in winter
Be sure to look for the subsequent chapter on Flowering Aloes (part 3 of the 5 part series)
