The Lace Aloe, or Aloe aristata plant is a low-growing plant, which is mostly found in South Africa. It has fleshy, soft-spined dark green leaves, which have white bumps. As the weather changes, the leaves tend to change color and orange-red flowers grow on the long stems.
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Even though this plant is different from other aloe plants and looks more like a haworthia, it’s still an amazing houseplant and can even be grown in a greenhouse. It’s the perfect plant to add to your xeriscape garden.
Read more to find all about the Aloe aristata plant and what you need to do to take care of it.
Quick Care
Lace Aloe may be small in size, but it is one of the strongest aloe plants. Also known as torch plant, this plant is resilient and easy to grow in almost all types of weather and growing conditions.
The leaves of this plant are triangular and are covered with white spikes and fine cilia, which are a common identifier of the Asphodelaceae plant family. The torch plant can grow up to 16-18″ inches (40-45cm). Its branches are covered with peach-colored flowers in the summer, which helps attract bees.
The Lace Aloe plant is hardier than other plants in its genus, but it cannot survive in extremely cold weather. It is best to remove this plant from your garden and keep it inside during the winter season. However, keep it near a window so it can get the sunlight it needs to thrive. During the summer, it is vital to expose it to a lot of sunlight since this plant loves warmth. It will grow flowers in autumn and summer, not spring.
Aristaloe Aristata Care
Aloe aristata is easy to grow but if you want it to thrive, it’s vital to give it attention. These plants are ideal indoor succulents.
Light & Temperature
Torch plant thrives under bright light. Even if you don’t expose it to the sun at all times of the day, make sure to keep it in a lit room, potentially under grow lights. It will ultimately stop growing if it is not kept near a south facing window for long periods of time.
Since this is a houseplant, it can easily grow at room temperature and can even survive in dry weather. If you want the tips of this plant to grow flowers, it is best to keep it above 50°F (10°C) at all times.
Water & Humidity
When this plant is growing, watering it is necessary or it will dry out. It’s best to keep watering the soil in the pot regularly if you want the roots to remain moist. When the plant is fully grown, you should water it less often but make sure the soil doesn’t lose moisture completely.
It doesn’t need to be watered regularly as it matures, as the fleshy succulent stems and leaves store water. Try the “soak and dry” method, but make sure water doesn’t collect in the rosette of this plant.
Soil
The soil of a Lace Aloe plant shouldn’t hold too much water. Dry soil or cactus mix is more suitable and will keep the plant upright and healthy for long. To improve soil drainage, you can always add perlite, vermiculite, or pumice.
Fertilizer
When your Aristaloe aristata plant is growing to its mature size, fertilize at least one a month throughout the growing season. Taper off in fall and winter, as well as once it becomes a mature size.
Propagation
It is best to repot this plant during the spring season. Make sure the pots are shallow and one size bigger than the older pot. If you repot your plant and it starts rotting, change the mixture and make sure the leaves aren’t buried too deep. A good idea is to sprinkle sand, which can prevent leaves from touching the soil. If the roots are too small, make sure not to remove them from the plant, or they will stop growing.
Problems
Lace Aloe plants, a dwarf version of the aloe genus, are pretty easy to grow, but you might run into some problems if you water them incorrectly. If you don’t water a fully grown Lace Aloe plant in the summer, it may wilt. Besides wilting, lack of moisture can also result in yellowing leaves. An unhealthy Lace Aloe plant can also have a rotting base, which will mostly happen in winter due to over watering.
Pests
Aristata plants can easily attract pests like mealy bugs. These bugs hide under the leaves and then bury themselves in the roots, which can destroy the whole plant. Another pest that can infect the Lace Aloe are the scale insects — they can infect the stem and flowers during the winter season. These pests appear as brown or white spots on the leaves.
To get rid of these insects, you can buy bug sprays or use a damp cloth to remove them manually from the stem and the leaves. You can also blast the plant with a high pressure hose, which will cause all the insects to die or scurry away in no time.
Is Aloe aristata the same as Aloe vera?
The Aloe aristata plant is not the same as the Aloe vera plant. It belongs to the Asphodelaceae family and has more in common with haworthia plants than the Aloe vera plant.
Is lace aloe edible?
Unlike Aloe vera plants that you can eat, Aloe aristata plant has poisonous leaves and can do serious damage if consumed.
The aristata plant is a good choice if you are looking for a succulent houseplant. It can also add to the beauty of your garden. However, you will need to give it extra care and attention during the winter.
