Aloe Delta Lights

Aloe 'Delta Lights' is a succulent plant with an unusual and attractive sculptural design. This Aloe forms a compact rosette with leaves that overlap with each other, giving it a very decorative starry appearance. Their cream-white colour is marked with small dark green zigzags that create a very elegant contrast. This evergreen plant is enhanced by a long flowering period in the form of spikes of reddish-orange, tubular flowers supported by a long floral stem that rises well above the rosette. Not tolerating frost well, it can only be planted in the ground in the mildest areas. Elsewhere, it will be easy to cultivate it in a pot to protect it during winter.

Aloe is now classified in the Asphodelaceae family, along with about fifteen other genera (according to classifications). Alongside the Asphodel that grows in Mediterranean regions,there are ornamental genera such as Eremurus with spectacular long floral spikes or Phormium with decorative ribbon-like leaves. There are over 500 species of Aloe originating mainly from Africa and Madagascar, mostly creeping plants or, more rarely, tree-like, as well as numerous hybrids.
'Delta Lights' is a horticultural variety obtained by the breeder Kelly Griffin, an expert in Agave and related plants, by crossing A. deltoideodonta, with broad, lightly thorned green leaves punctuated with cream-white marks, and A. harlana, or Mosaic Aloe, with narrower leaves, edged with fiercer thorns, and olive green streaked with tender green. The result borrows from both parents, adding a touch of originality in terms of colour. Aloe 'Delta Lights' forms a compact rosette, with slow growth, generally reaching about 25 cm in height and 30 cm in width, although American enthusiasts report slightly larger mature plants. The leaves have a very graceful shape, widening into a bulb from the point of insertion and tapering to a regular pointed tip. They are fleshy, not thorny and their section is slightly concave. Unlike its parents, this Aloe displays a dominant cream-white colour, sometimes tending towards chartreuse green, marked with irregular dark green stripes, giving it a very ornamental and contemporary appearance. Forming a star that enriches over time by rising at each new leaf level, the plant also offsets from the base to form new rosettes and thus increase in width. The evergreen foliage is superb all year round, and the flowering adds appeal to the plant. From autumn to spring, and sometimes in summer, floral stems form above the rosettes, adorned with small tubular, 2 to 3 cm long flowers in a beautiful reddish-orange. This airy flowering above the rosettes enhances the contemporary beauty of this Aloe.

Not very hardy, 'Delta Lights' will only survive in the ground in the most sheltered areas where frost is fleeting and mild. Due to its slow growth and moderate development, it is perfectly suited for pot cultivation, allowing it to be brought indoors before the first frosts. By associating it with other exotic-looking plants, you can create an inspiring scene on your balcony or terrace during summer. Phormium 'Chocomint' from the same family will be a good companion with its long chocolate brown foliage edged with mint green, a resolutely modern look. Also, explore the wide range of Aeonium that will reward you with amazing colours and superbly designed plants. Mangaves, hybrids between Agave and Manfreda, also have much to offer, both in terms of their distinctive silhouette and their often surprising colour schemes and combinations.