Aloe marlothii

Aloe marlothii, Mountain Aloe, is a robust arborescent Aloe from Southern Africa that can grow to at least 4m in its native range. In cultivation in the UK, its growth is somewhat more limited. Cold-tolerant and capable of shrugging off a a few degrees of frost, it is nonetheless not full hardy and therefore can only be grown in very favoured southerly locations or - for most of us - in a large container that is then brought in to a cool greenhouse or conservatory during the winter months. Kept completely dry during winter, it is a sensible precaution to keep it warm under horticultural fleece even when under glass. By March, watering can slowly and cautiously begin again and it responds well to an occasional weak liquid feed during the growing season with watering gradually diminishing through September and stopping altogether by mid-October.

Aloe marlothii has large spiny leaves atop a stout single trunk. It is a handsome plant, very similar in the appearance of the foliage to Aloe ferox. It is not however, a plant that can be grown by everybody: its half-hardy nature and large stature requires a specific type of microclimate, a sheltered sunny aspect and a well-drained substrate within a favourable geographical zone. Planting it in a large container is similarly a challenge as such a container has to be moved in to a frost-free environment in the winter and eventually, as it grows, it will demand a large space. Recommended for the dedicated and experienced collector of the rare and exotic who has space to house it. Of course, if you live on the coast or near a tidal estuary in Devon or Cornwall, you may well be emboldened to experiment...