You might not want one on the hull of your boat, but this latest “fantasy” aloe hybrid by Karen Zimmerman is a must have for afficionados of her work. The quest continues for ever more toothy and colorful selections suitable for small containers. This one has broad, deltoid leaves with a gray-green epidermis studded with pink teeth that flatten and elongate along the margins, usually with two or three terminal cusps. Regarding parentage, Karen has this to offer: A. [A. ‘Dragon’ × (A. K. Griffin #5 × A. ‘Paul Hutchison’)] × A. ‘Secret Agent’. Taking it back to species is difficult, but the usual suspects are lurking in there in the way back: parvula, descoingsii, divaricata, maybe laeta, and on and on… at this point, it’s generations of hybrid × hybrid. Rooted plants from tissue culture of HBG 137664. $15.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 92 (2), Summer 2020