Aloe x caesia or Mossel Bay Hybrid Aloe

Care of the succulent plant Aloe x caesia or Mossel Bay Hybrid Aloe

The genus Aloe, family Xanthorrhoeaceae, includes about 500 species of succulent plants native to Africa, Madagascar and the Middle East. Some species are: Aloe x caesia, Aloe x delaetii, Aloe pluridens, Aloe esculenta, Aloe vera, Aloe variegata, Aloe thraskii, Aloe tenuior, Aloe suprafoliata, Aloe striata, Aloe plicatilis, Aloe mitriformis, Aloe marlothii, Aloe maculata, Aloe juvenna, Aloe ferox, Aloe ciliaris, Aloe barberae, Aloe aristata, Aloe arborescens, Aloe aculeata, Aloe x spinosissima.

Common name: Mossel Bay Hybrid Aloe. It is a natural hybrid between the species Aloe ferox and Aloe arborescens.

Aloe x caesia is a slow-growing, branched, shrubby succulent plant that reaches 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) in height. The fleshy leaves, arranged in a rosette, are bluish-green or light green in color and have teeth on the margins. It produces a flowering stem 90 cm (2.95 feet) tall with red flowers. It blooms in winter and early spring.

Mossel Bay Hybrid Aloe is used on dry, sunny slopes, in rockeries, as a single specimen, in cactus and succulent gardens, and in pots when young. They are ideal for Mediterranean coastal gardens.

Aloe x caesia prefers full sun exposure but can grow in light shade. Although it tolerates light, occasional frosts, it is best not to expose it to temperatures below 4 °C (39 ºF).

The soil can be normal garden soil with 30% coarse sand or a commercial potting mix for cacti and succulents with 20% perlite. Repot in early spring if the pot has become too small.

Mossel Bay Hybrid Aloe is a drought-resistant plant that requires moderate watering, waiting until the soil has completely dried out. Reduce watering significantly in winter; if grown outdoors, it can be maintained with winter rains.

Fertilize with mineral fertilizer for cacti and succulents once a month during the summer.

Prunes withered flower stems after flowering.

Aloe x caesia is resistant to common pests and diseases but sensitive to excess moisture at the roots.

Mossel Bay Hybrid Aloe is propagated from seeds sown in spring in a sandy seedbed and from cuttings from seedlings in spring or summer.