Aloe porphyrostachys

This plant listing for reference only.

Aloe porphyrostachys, commonly known as Lavender Aloe, is an evergreen, clump-forming aloe native to the eastern Red Sea region of southwestern Saudi Arabia, where it grows in hot, arid desert and dry shrubland habitats on rocky granite massifs. In cultivation it forms upright, stemless to very short-stemmed rosettes that slowly offset from the base, typically reaching about 1 to 2 feet tall and wide over time. The leaves are soft-textured and upright to slightly arching, pale green to pale brownish green, sometimes marked with faint white spotting, and may develop muted purplish or brownish tones when grown in intense sun. Leaf margins are armed with relatively large, white teeth that contrast clearly with the foliage. Flowering occurs primarily from late spring into early summer, when erect inflorescences rise above the foliage bearing narrow, densely packed, columnar racemes of pendent tubular flowers that are consistently orange-red to red-orange in color; in California gardens bloom is most often observed in May and June. The species was formally described in 2000 by John Lavranos and Iris Sheila Collen from plants occurring near Jebel Radhwa, and at the time represented the northernmost known natural occurrence of any aloe. Aloe porphyrostachys performs best in full sun and very well-drained soil, requires minimal irrigation once established, and has proven reliable in exposed, hot conditions, with cold tolerance generally reported in the 25–30°F range when kept dry.