This plant’s origin is a mystery, but once it reached maturity it distinguished itself by its glorious floral display each winter in the Huntington’s Desert Garden. It grows among a mass of A. × principis, a natural hybrid of A. arborescens and A. ferox. It may be a spontaneous seedling from that hybrid or a natural color variant of it. Alas, the records of its history are incomplete. Nevertheless, it stands out by virtue of its rich tangerine-orange buds that open into yellow-orange flowers. The inflorescences color up early in bud development, extending the color display to a couple of months as part of the general riot of winter-flowering aloes at the Huntington. Rooted cuts of HBG 89138. $7.50.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 75 (2), March - April, 2003