Aloe × caesia

This aloe is native to the Cape Provinces in South Africa. Introduced to France, Sicilia, and Spain, it has become naturalized there as well. I cannot find general agreement on the scientific name, which includes at least Aloe × caesia, Aloe ×caesia, and Aloe caesia. This may seem like a minor issue, but entire papers have been written on the subject. It is a possibly natural cross of Aloe arborescens × A. ferox.

Plants: Perennial evergreen succulent shrubs are up to 5′ (1.5 m) tall. Stems are erect, sometimes leaning under the weight of the leaf rosettes.

Leaves: Rosettes are 2–2½′ (60–80 cm) around. Leaves are glaucous to dark green, unspotted, and lanceolate-deltoid, tapering to sharp tips. They are 12–16 ⨉ 1¾–4″ wide at the base (30–40 ⨉ 5–10 cm). Leaves are sometimes edged with small dark brown teeth.

Flowers: Produces several stalks up to 3′ (1 m) tall, with up to 8 more or less erect branches. Flower racemes are clyindrical or slightly conical, 1½–2½′ long ⨉ 4″ wide (50–80 ⨉ 10 cm). Flowers are orange to scarlet red, and cigar-shaped.

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Liliidae	Includes lilies, orchids, and many others
Order	Asparagales	A diverse group that includes asparagus
Family	Xanthorrhoeaceae	Aloes, many tropical plants, flax lilies, daylilies, many others
Genus	Aloe	Means “goddess” in ancient Sanskrit, for its reputed use as a beauty aid; some sources suggest that the name comes from Alloeh, meaning “shining bitter substance”
Species	caesia	From Latin, meaning “gray, gray-blue, steel-colored”

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Range: Zones 9-11:

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