The Fan Aloe plicatilis is a unique tree-like succulent. It is not cold hardy, but it’s perfect for use in Wellington landscapes or grown in a container. Just make sure you have plenty of room for this South African native. It will eventually dwarf all your other plants, but growing Fan Aloe is worth it. It has a unique and beautiful leaf arrangement that is suggested by its name.
Succulent plants are low maintenance and come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. The Fan Aloe vera plant is technically known as Aloe plicatilis, but is often lumped into the aloe vera category. It has plump leaves like aloe vera, but they are much longer and arranged in a fan shape. This Cape native can get quite large but in a container, it will stay smaller.
The plant can get between 3 and 6 feet (0.9-1.8m) tall with interesting gray bark. Each cluster of leaves produces an inflorescence with tube shaped reddish orange flowers, usually arising in the the winter months. The stem of the inflorescence soars above the leaves at up to 20 inches (50 cm). The name ” plicatilis” comes from the Latin for ‘foldable’.