Aloe mutabilis - 10 Seed Pack - Indigenous Succulent - Worldwide Shipping, NEW

Aloe mutabilis commonly known as Kransaalwyn grows naturally on vertical rock faces of Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden at the Witpoortjie waterfall, which is the type locality. It occurs also at Chuniespoort near Pietersburg and westwards along the Magaliesburg to Rustenburg. It can also be found in the hilly and mountainous area of the former southern and central Transvaal. The species name "mutabilis" which means changeable or mutable refers to the flowers which change colour as they open and to the variability of the species. Aloe mutabilis grows fairly fast and it can withstand fairly severe frost. It makes a magnificent rockery specimen when grown at the highest point of the rockery with the rosette hanging downward. From autumn to winter it bears striking red flowers which change to bright yellow as they age.

Their natural adaptation to harsh and often arid climates makes aloes outstanding subjects for the water-wise garden. Aloes can tolerate long periods of drought, but it is not true that watering should be withheld to obtain optimal growth. Stressed plants are more susceptible to insects and pests. Plants flourish, flower better and are more resistant when given adequate water during the growing season. However, be very cautious not to overwater aloes because they may rot if they stay wet for too long. Adequate drainage is essential. Plant smaller aloes in raised beds and only water them when the top 5cm of soil has dried. Even though there are some species that are challenging to grow, most of the aloes are easy and can readily be grown just about any place in the country. Aloes generally need soils with good drainage and do best in warm climates. When planted in rich soil that are frequently mulched they will do well for many years without interference making them very low-maintenance plants once established. Aloe is a genus in the Asphodeloideae family containing about 600 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera. The genus is mostly native to Africa with about 125 being indigenous to South Africa. About 405 species can be found in Africa while about 45 species are found in the Arabian Peninsula. Socotra has 4 natural species and the Mascarene and other Western Indian Ocean Islands share about 7 species. Madagascar, for its size, has a pretty extensive collection of about 145 species.
Aloes are sometimes confused with Agaves. Contrarily to Agaves, Aloe leaves contain a gel like sap. Another difference is that Aloes don't die after blooming as most Agaves do.
For an extensive list of documented Aloe species please see this Wikipedia page.