This uncommon species seemed to enter southern California horticulture only in the last decade or so. This was due to the introductions made by Thomas Cole of Cold Springs Aloes, in Montecito, CA. He encountered the species in the course of his travels as a humanitarian aid worker in remote parts of Africa. He donated some of his collections to the Huntington and we grew to appreciate the ornamental species he was bringing to the attention of succulent collectors. Among these was Aloe labworana, a species from Uganda and southern Sudan with showy panicles of yellow flowers borne on divergent racemes. While producing their Aloes of Uganda: A Field Guide (2017) Cole and Forrest described Aloe labworana subsp. longifolia which differs from the type subspecies in having longer, unspotted and more uniformly blue-green leaves. A. labworana subsp. labworana has leaves of a similar color but ornamented with lenticular (shaped like a lens when viewed in cross section) spots. These markings can vary in color from greenish to yellow. The selection offered here stands out for its especially colorful yellow spotting that complements the color of its flowers. New leaves also display waxy, milky, bud imprints. We offer plants from tissue culture of HBG 124741, a plant from Tom Cole, November 2, 2015, from seed collected in Uganda; Abim District; Labwor Hills, near Kiru. $12.
Published in the Cactus and Succulent Journal, Vol. 97 (2), Summer 2025