Aloe conifera
Aloe conifera · Asphodelaceae
📷 Michael Wolf (Webseite) · CC BY-SA 3.0
⚠️ Aloe : sève et latex saponifiés toxiques. Ingestion provoque troubles digestifs, coliques, diarrhée chez chats, chiens, enfants.
The gardener's calendar
In autumn, ease off feeding and take the chance to clean up around aloe conifera and prepare for winter.
ID card
- Scientific name
- Aloe conifera
- Family
- Asphodelaceae
- Plant type
- Succulent
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Flowering
- June to August, yellow or orange flowers
- Adult height
- 60 to 80 cm
- Cold hardiness
- Sensitive to cold, from 5°C
- Origin
- South Africa
✓ Taxonomy verifiedSource: AI estimate · hardiness: reliability medium.
Expert tips
The key tip
Tolerates maximum 5°C with prolonged frost exposure. Mediterranean zone or containerized overwintering is essential.
The common mistake
Planting it in cold, wet soil: it rots and dies irreversibly.
The pro's trick
Grow it in a large pot with cactus soil mix and perlite, then overwinter it dry in a bright, cool location.
Care
Watering
Let the substrate dry out completely between waterings. During active growth (spring-summer), water moderately once every 10-15 days. In autumn-winter, space waterings further apart and reduce them almost entirely during dormancy. Excess water is the main risk for this succulent.
Light Exposure
Place your Aloe conifera in full sun, ideally 6 to 8 hours per day. Intense light enhances the color and compactness of the foliage. Indoors, prefer a well-lit window facing south or south-west.
Soil and Substrate
Use a very well-draining substrate: specialized cacti and succulent mix, or light potting soil with coarse sand and perlite added (ratio 2/1/1). Good drainage is essential to prevent root rot. Repot in spring if needed, every 2 to 3 years.
Fertilization
Apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer, rich in potassium and phosphorus, once or twice during spring-summer. You can also use a "special cacti" fertilizer. In autumn-winter, stop fertilizing during dormancy.
Pruning and Maintenance
No strict pruning is necessary. Simply remove dead or damaged leaves at the base. If the plant gets too leggy, you can shorten it slightly in spring and replant the fragments in moist substrate to propagate your plant.
Diseases and Pests
Watch out for root and stem rot caused by excessive moisture. Indoors, mealybugs can occasionally be a problem: inspect leaves regularly and remove pests with a damp cloth. Good drainage and ventilation prevent most issues.
Did you know?
Aloe conifera is one of the rare Aloe species with a shrubby habit and pronounced vertical growth, forming almost a small tree-like rosette. Its name 'conifera' evokes the conical shapes of its dense flower spikes, which attract pollinators in its native lands. This species was long confused with other African Aloes until its precise botanical classification in the twentieth century.
Where to buy it
Plant in spring, once all risk of frost has gone. Pick a plant with healthy foliage and roots that are not exposed. Best time: from April to June.
Add this plant to my garden →Plants from the same family
- Blueberry lilyDianella revoluta
- Cerulean flaxlilyDianella caerulea
- Tasmanian flax-lilyDianella tasmanica
- New Zealand flaxPhormium tenax
- Tree aloeAloe arborescens
- Lemon daylilyHemerocallis lilioasphodelus
Tips generated and checked by Viridia — adapt them to your local climate.