Aloe harlana

Aloe harlana is a tall aloe, composed of long fleshy olive green leaves streaked with light green, gathered in a large rosette. Its growth is adorned with an original and attractive spring flowering, which takes the form of tall and branched inflorescences bearing red and orange tubular flowers. With a very exotic appearance, this spectacular plant from the high slopes of the Ethiopian Great Rift Valley is not very resistant to heavy frost, but it proves to be particularly resistant to summer drought. It is best grown in open ground only in mild coastal regions, on a steep and rocky terrain in full sun. It grows very well in a large pot on the terrace, to be stored over winter in colder climates.

Aloe harlana belongs to the Asphodelaceae family. This botanical species was discovered near the village of Harla in the southern part of the Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia and described in 1957 by Gilbert Westacott Reynolds. It can be found on grassy slopes between 1500 and 1800 metres (4900 to 5900 feet) above sea level. It is a large species, almost devoid of stems, with succulent and evergreen foliage. An adult plant will reach approximately 1.50 m (5 ft) in height when in flower, with a spread of 1 m (3 ft) in good growing conditions. It generally forms solitary rosettes, but sometimes produces small colonies of individual rosettes. The foliage consists of rigid lance-shaped leaves measuring about 50 cm (20 in) long and 13 cm (5 in) wide, slightly concave, tapering to a point, with brown teeth along the edges. The lamina is uniformly semi-glossy, dark olive green with light green longitudinal stripes and dots. The flowers appear in spring or early summer depending on the climate, on a floral stem 1.50 m (5 ft) tall, divided into 3 to 7 branches. Each branch carries a conical inflorescence. The elongated buds are dark reddish-purple; they open into pale orange tubular flowers, from the bottom of the spike to the top, so that the red buds are adjacent to orange flowers. Both flowers and buds have a glossy texture.

A plant that thrives in arid lands and is highly resistant to salt spray, the Aloe harlana can be grown in a large pot to decorate the terrace or balcony, or in the ground in a coastal garden, as it is hardy to about -5°C. It makes a magnificent specimen in well-drained steep or rocky terrain, in a raised bed, and of course in a rockery or on a dry slope. Elsewhere it can be planted in a large pot that is wider than it is tall, to showcase its strong personality on a contemporary or exotic terrace. It can be paired, for example, with agaves, opuntias, Delosperma, or shrubby euphorbias (Euphorbia mellifera).

About Agaves and Aloes:

Aloes and agaves resemble each other, but belong to two different botanical families. The main difference lies in the fact that aloe rosettes flower for many years, while the flowering of a mature agave rosette marks the end of its life. In some aloe species, interfoliar buds give rise to new plants that cover the dried remains of the mother plant. In agaves, the central floral scape develops from the terminal bud. In aloes, the floral buds emerge between the leaves. Agaves are native to North America, while aloes are found only in the southern half of Africa and in nearby islands in the Indian Ocean.