William Hertrich, like several Aloe hybridizers since, attempted breeding for better bicolors. That is, plants with buds of one color which open another. We assume that the selection offered here is a Hertrich hybrid as it is one of many existing hybrids in the Huntington’s Desert Garden which Hertrich helped create after convincing Henry Huntington that such a garden, despite evoking painful memories of a cholla encounter, was another worthy avenue for his collecting passions. Unfortunately, Hertrich’s hybridization records have been lost, so some intuition is required to retrace his steps. This appears to be a hybrid of Aloe cryptopoda and Aloe speciosa, the latter of which contributes red buds opening white. The cultivar name alludes to a sculpture of that same name by Anna Hyatt Huntington, a daughter-in-law of Henry, which graces the entry to the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. The sculpture celebrates the passing of cultural legacy from one generation to another. This offering then celebrates the passing of horticultural legacy to future generations. Toward that end, we offer rooted plants from tissue culture of HBG 134228. $10.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 94 (2), Summer 2022