The Green Room: Our aloes are finally flowering

All things come to those who wait, they say. It certainly took a while this year for the flowers on our aloes to open. I'm convinced the inconsistent weather—cool, unseaonably warm, cool, rainy, cold—got the plants all confused. But finally, after almost two months of impatient waiting on my part, the aloes planted in the strip along the street are at their peak.

Aloe excelsa (first two photos) is flowering for the first time, and our three Aloe 'Moonlight' (orange-yellow flowers) have never had so many inflorescences. Exciting times indeed!

Let's take a look!

Aloe excelsa blooming for the first time

Aloe excelsa

Aloe excelsa (left), Aloe 'Moonshine' (right)

This is the first of three clumps of Aloe 'Moonshine' we have now. They all came from the same mother—one of two plants in a #5 can (a friend of mine got the second plant in the pot). What a deal, considering all our 'Moonglow' cost us less than $10 in total.

Aloe ferox, bigger than ever

Aloe ferox wasn't satisfied with the large flower stalk on the left so it pushed a second one from the center

Aloe ferox; the tree behind the fence is Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea'

Aloe 'Moonglow', clump #2. The tall aloe is Aloidendron 'Hercules'; it's still much too small to flower.

Aloe 'Moonglow', clump #2

Aloe hereroensis

Aloe hereroensis flowers are truly spectacular

Aloe hereroensis flower up close

Aloe capitata var. quartziticola

Aloe capitata var. quartziticola. What can I say? It's still my favorite aloe.

Aloe capitata var. quartziticola

From left to right: Aloe ferox, Aloe 'Moonglow', Aloe capitata var. quartziticola, Aloe glauca

On the right: Aloe 'Erik the Red'

Aloe 'Erik the Red'. It has the reddest flowers of any aloe I've ever seen. And they haven't even opened up yet!

I take back what I said about Aloe capitata var. quartziticola being my favorite aloe. That honor goes to Aloe 'Erik the Red'. At least at the moment.

Aloe 'Erik the Red' and Aloe 'Moonglow', clump #3

Aloe 'Moonglow', clump #3

Aloe 'Moonglow', clump #3. The yellow-flowering shrublet in front of it is the dwarf bush marigold I brought back from Southern California (a hybrid between Tagetes lemmonii and Tagetes lucida called 'Gold Medal').

Aloe 'Moonglow', clump #3

Since the weather continues to be on the cool side (the highest daytime high I see in the 7-day forecast is 61°F), I expect these aloe flowers to last another few weeks. I'll be sad to see them go. Although by then spring might be here for real.