Yes, they all start out as plants like that and develope more of a spiral as they age. so maybe a few more months and the spiral will start to show ... lucky find! I still cant seem to find one though... did you know they like cooler climates? And cooler temperatures near the root ball?

I don't know Toni, I've never seen such a young one. I know a few of the other guys may know, give it a couple of days maybe?

On the other hand, I would have though a reputable nursery such as Logees might have warned you if it's as Micro suggests. Have you thought about calling them to ask?

Looking at the overhead shot, my sense is it needs more leaves first in order to start spiraling. With so few, it's not likely to be readily visible as it starts, do you know what I mean?

Hello -

Nice plant! The spiraling, however, will take a while to be visible...you will need several rows of leaves to form. See attached article...Good luck!

T

Here is a link that might be useful: A. polyphylla cultivation

Looks like a baby A. p. to me - rots of ruck.

I have been growing A.p. for about 5-6 yrs now, and can offer a few pieces of advice from experience (and having killed a few):

-Grow this plant outdoors for as long as possible, full sun, wind and rain. Older plants are more cold tolerant. Once I potted mine into a 7-gal pot, I allowed exposure to nightly temps into the low 20's F without any problem.
-Submerge the pot under the ground to keep the root-zone temperature stable. The roots are not deep, but they do grow wide.
-Use a soil substrate that will not decompose: perlite, turface, pumice, etc. Supplement with dilute fertilizer.
-With the right soil mix, you can safely water multiple times daily in the summertime.
-Tip the pot at a good angle so that water does not collect in the center of the plant!
-Despite what you may read, you do not need to go crazy finding UV light in the winter. If you can find a cool/ cold place (garage, basement) just keep the plant on the dry side and don't worry about light. I keep mine cold and dark from about January to March. The leaf tips dry up and darken, but that's about it. The spiral pattern will not be affected since the plant is not growing when it is cold and dry.
-I have never attempted to grow this indoors but I suspect that the results would not be good. If you can't find a cool wintering spot and are forced to grow it indoors, get yourself some strong artificial light and keep watering at a minimum.

x

Thanks Everyone,

Mic..you think it will start spiraling in a few months? You're more optimistic than I. lol.

If you're looking for A. poly, Logee's sells them, but be prepared to pay...dearly.

My dh bought this plant. I'd have never paid the cost. Hint: between 35 and 40, w/shipping.

Karen, yes, that's the problem. I Googled and Bing'd before starting this thread..All pics show larger, Spiraling plants.

Logee's isn't as reputable as one thinks..not since 2000 and before. Check GWD feedback.

I agree it needs more leaves. Do you know if Aloe poly is fast or slow-growing?

Hey Tom! Long time no see. I didn't see the link you posted at first..I'll read it after I finish. Thanks.

Jeff...why the 'rots of ruck'??? Is baby A. poly that difficult? Thanks for the encourgement..lol.

X. Please don't tell me you've killed this Aloe. I've seen you around a long long time, know you are successful growing succulents. If you can kill one..............

X. You've said you've never grown A. poly indoors. I see you're in z7/NYC. How did you manage? Guess they like cold, but what about freezing, single digit temps?
We usually get a LOT of rain during autumn months. Even if soil is completely well-draining, won't constant moisture rot this Aloe?

Was the advice you gave for a young or mature plant? You mentioned repotting in a 7-gallon container and submerging in-ground.

You suggested substituing with dilute fertilizer? What's dilute fertilizer? lol.

One more question. Sorry.
'The roots are not deep, but they do grow wide.'
Should the container be shallow and wide instead of a standard pot?

Roots are shaped of a standard 4" pot. I don't feel comfortable or experienced enough to trim roots to fit a shallow container.

Winter months. There are two cool rooms in our house. Temps can drop in the 50's on the coldest nights of winter. Average temp, 65F.
As for light..IL weather varies..Sometimes days are bright, but mostly, dark, grey.
There's artificial lights in both cool rooms. All my Aloes are kept under lights, before south and west windows.
The garage isn't heated, temperature can be single digit. Basement is warmer than my cooler rooms. Besides, I'm afraid keeping plants in the basement. lol.

I want to thank everyone for responding. Hopefully, my new Aloe will survive..Toni

Toni - I started with about 3 smallish plants, and they each received slightly different care so that's how I figured out what works and what doesn't - there is one remaining survivor that is doing quite nicely.

When mine is indoors, it's only because it is too cold outside. For the few very cold months it stays in my garage, average 38-42 at night and about 50 in the day. That's not quite warm enough for growth so it remains in a steady state, and kept dry. There is no supplemental light, just some very weak sun from a small window.

I never had a problem with lots of rain, even in the cooler spring and autumn - provided that the soil mix is porous. What will be harmful is allowing water to remain pooled in the center of the rosette. Make sure the plant is tipped at enough of angle to prevent this.

Any size plant should be buried to keep the root temps moderated. Because my potting mix is devoid of nutrients, I have to supplement. I add a little osmocote all-purpose slow release granular fertilizer in the spring, along with an occasional watering with Algoflash liquid feed at 1/4 the recommended rate.

I have never found a shallow container large enough to work correctly. I just use the standard plastic home depot pots, but when I repot I do notice that the roots only fill up the top half of the pot, and it's not because the bottom half is a waterlogged oxygen deprived quagmire.

Any Aloe, so far as I can tell, handles root pruning easily, and polyphylla is no exception. If I were you, the first thing I would do would be to repot into a better soil mix, it appears yours is growing in almost pure peat.

For us northerners, I find the best strategy for succulents is to stop winter growth, rather than trying to find enough warmth and sun. For that to be successful, you have to find a consistently cold spot. Your cool room will not be cold enough to inhibit growth, so you will be challenged with finding enough light to keep the growth compact. Keep the plant dry to slow growth, but not so dry that the blackening leaf tips start to extend beyond 1/2 inch or so. I haven't tried LED lights but they seem to work in my reef aquarium so I'd bet they can provide intense lighting for plants without the heat.

Maybe you should try to keep it in the garage for as long as possible, even if it's just for the nights - I suspect that warm days followed by cold (freezing) nights might work to inhibit growth. Are you sure it gets into the single digits even in the garage? Your garage doors must not be insulated.

Good Luck!

x

It's hardy to about 10F, I think. It needs about 40+ leaves before the spiral begins to show. It is an alpine plant growing in granite chips at 12,000+ feet above sea level. It lives off snow melt running through the granite chips--so it needs a lot of water and sharp drainage/oxygen to the root system at the same time. It does really well around San Francisco bay and the central coast of California. These are areas of dense fog, cool summers, and mild winters. It is a plant that dislikes hot summers which makes it difficult in southern California.

I've killed several, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of growing it. I have it on a steep slope of silt that is in full shade most of the time. The light here is bright and sun is constant so it seems to handle shade just fine. I have a leaky hose and I drip nearly constant water to the roots, and ice the soil around the plant on very hot days. This seems to be working as it has grown and looks good, after nearly dying in a pot from being to dry and the roots getting too hot. Cool roots, cool roots, cool roots. Also shade cloth for direct sun in summer to reduce the heat. The leaves should always feel turgid and full of moisture. If they thin out, the plant is not doing so good.

Tricky, really enjoying the plant despite the difficulties.

I must admit i really really really want one of these ... but southern california heat would burst this thing into flames, especially since i live in a valley that is 15 degrees hotter than the surrounding cities ... maybe i could stick it in tne shade and put ice? Who knows ...

Toni (hopefulauthor), you and I must have similar taste in plants. You helped me find a source for the Poncirus trifoliata Flying Dragon last year (they are doing well, and I may be brave enough to actually plant them in the ground someday! They just look so stunning framing our bench on the deck :/ ).

I just ordered two Aloe polyphylla plants after being on a waiting list for a few months. (One for me to kill and one for my mom to kill, LOL!) Your questions and xerophyte_nyc's detailed tips for northern gardeners make me feel a little more confident.

Thanks to you both!
Sunshine

I just found one at Lowes

Monrovia 1.6 Gallon- Spiral Aloe

Item #: 430194 : Model #: 047322 $26.98
you may be able to get your Lowes to order one for you

--------------------------------------I found one on Etsy but the large one was sold............he has small ones, yours must be VERY young.

Aloe polyphylla (Spiral Aloe)
-Full sun to light shade
-Hardy to USDA zones 7b (5-10ð F)
-Plant in a well drained soil and water regularly (thirstier than most aloes!)

This plant was grown in an organic manner. I make my own media, use organic fertilizer and refrain from chemicals.

This plant and has been grown and is shipped in a Gallon pot . The first image is of a mature plant and the following images are of the plants that I am currently shipping. I have multiples of this item, so if you wish to purchase more than one plant, convo me!!

Visible spiral is at 8-12 inches in diameter.
How long does this take? Well, it depends on your growing conditions.

This aloe is stemless and usually has a solitary rosette to 1 foot tall and wide whose leaves are arranged in a perfect spiral. This spiral may be clockwise or counter clockwise and is formed by five rows of leaves with each row having between 15 and 30 leaves each. The individual leaves are broad at the base and taper to sharp dark tip with irregular teeth along the margins.

In late spring to summer mature plants send up a 2 foot tall branching inflorescence with of the successive branched capped by a compact head of salmon-pink flowers. .

This aloe is endemic to basalt rock outcroppings within grasslands in the higher elevations between 6,500 and 8,200 feet of the Maluti Mountains of Lesotho in South Africa. At these elevations plants are often under snow in winter and there is ample summer moisture both through mist and rainfall. This rare and beautiful aloe has become a prized collector's item and has also been used for African tribal medicinal and magical purposes (Muthi). Because of this, plants in the wild are now considered endangered and plants should not be purchased if it is suspected that the plant or seed has been wild collected. My plants have been propagated by tissue culture using cultivated material.

The name "polyphylla" comes from Latin words "poly" meaning many and "phylla" meaning leaves. While this plant is called Spiral Aloe the world over for the arrangement of its leaves within the rosette, the Afrikaans common name Kroonaalwyn translates to "Crown Aloe"

Here is a link that might be useful: polyphylla aloe pictures of smaller size

As Jeff said in 2012, rots of ruk. lol.

My beautiful Aloe passed away last winter. My fault..the soil was very dry so I watered. The room was way too cold..a day or two later, goodbye Aloe..

I'd love to try another some day but next time around, it'd go in another room...a warmer room.
My other Aloes aren't bothered by the cold, but I'm guessing polyphylla is more sensitive.

Good luck, Toni

Hi -

Here's mine...garaged, not so spirally...but still kicking!

{{gwi:568778}}

Thought it was a goner last winter, but it persevered. Potted it in a larger container, and went with the x-endorsed garage method this winter. I have found that even under those conditions, mine seems to fair better with more frequent watering.

If it makes it through this winter (I think this is its third one with me so far) maybe I pot it up again and hope for the best.

Tom

I've been reading everything I can find about a.p. culture, and am waiting for seeds to arrive shortly from a responsible seller in SA, and here's a link to an article that seems pretty helpful. Aloe seeds from eBay which I planted last year were not as advertised, so now I feel like I'm making up for lost time.

Rick in CT

Here is a link that might be useful: Aloe polyphylla culture

Neysa has the best idea. For under $27 to get a large Aloe poly, you can't beat that deal. I have a total of 30 seeds planted from China and Calf. and so far just 6 plants. Not a good ratio. If I knew about Lowes, I would have jumped on that deal.
As far as not to kind of seeds sold. Anyone can fool you. Like in my case, most didn't germinate. Was told it takes up to 8 months. Yea, right. Not in my book. Now if those that sprouted turns out to be different, I will tell EBay about it as a bad seed source. I keep records and record every thing.
Stush

I don't know Toni. I'm new to a.p., and no expert, but the leaftips of your plants don't look like those of a.p., which to my untrained eye seem much darker at the very tips than yours, at least judging from all the pictures that I've seen. Does anyone know of any other characteristics to look for on young unspiraled plants?

I have found that a significant number of plants and seeds on ebay and elsewhere are mislabeled, intentionally or not. Caveat emptor....

--Rr

Hi Tom...Beautiful.
Would you happen to know your Aloe's age?

What age does Aloe polyphylla start swirling?
Like photos displayed, when these plants are available.

Stush, I'd pay 27.00 for a nice-size specimen, the problem is finding one.

I too bought seeds from a seller on Ebay..One year later, nada. They never germinated.
The packet didn't contain many seeds..but I thought one would sprout..
I've sowed succulent seeds before with 80% success.
But, perhaps I did something wrong..I'll take part of the blame.

Rr, did you mean to post to me or Tom? If me, I'd be furious paying the amount Logee's charged, only to find it was the wrong Aloe!

...and I got mine from Alan Beverly (see link...).

Who, btw, is having a sale. Mine was 1 gallon size when I got it almost 3 years ago, so I am not sure of its exact age. It hasn't been the happiest little guy up here in southern New England, but I am doing my best to figure it out. If I could get it through this winter relatively unshrivelled, maybe it will hit a pace this spring.

T

Here is a link that might be useful: Ecoscape

I recently obtained 5 spiral aloe seeds. I planted 2 in a planting mix that was dampened. How long before I see a seedling(if any)
Also, does anyone use a grow light , to get the seeds started.
Any help would be appreciated!

If anyone is still watching this thread...

I have my AP potted in a shallow light-colored glazed pot in approx. 2:1 granite chips:MG Cactus mix. After noticing that the mix wasn't breathing from the bottom (on a glass shelf--condensation under the pot, leaves becoming flatter and slightly limp), I put it outside this summer to dry out a bit. It's in a spot that gets a few hours of morning sun, then dappled afternoon (deck railing) shade, then full shade from an overhanging oak to the west in the afternoon, pulling it inside for the hottest days this summer.

It had grown nicely until I noticed the condensation and dried it out. Did I "dry" it too much? It hasn't seemed to recover from the limp leaves.

I've been trying to water regularly, waiting for the leaves to plump up, but they are not responding after about a month of monitoring. Now a few of the bottom leaves are starting to dry. The center leaves don't have brown tips...I'm tempted to pull it to inspect the roots. It was potted in a soilless peat based mix when it arrived and I sunk the peaty rootball into the granite mix. I have only fertilized lightly a few times early in the spring and summer.

Should I unpot and inspect at this time of year, considering it's already under stress and probably sliding into dormancy soon?

Hi E.S.-- I'm relatively new to a.p. also, but I'll put my 2 cents in. I posted a detailed account of my experiences with this species a few months ago, so I'll just give you a brief outline. All of this is open to discussion/correction/rejection....

Aloe polyphylla is unlike other aloes in that it must never be allowed to dry out, especially during the warmer months. In its (rapidly disappearing) natural habitat, the roots are kept moist and cool by melting snow on peaks at higher elevations. For this reason, I use terra cotta pots for my a.p.'s, and a potting mixture of scoria (pumice)/perlite/MG cactus soil in equal parts. The diameter of the pot should be a couple of inches wider than the plant.diameter.

During warmer months, keep the plant standing in a dish of water, which will allow evaporative cooling of the pot. I keep direct sun off of the pot, and tend to shade it during the hottest hours. If the temp were to exceed 85ðF, I would be ready to bring the plants indoors. I you can provide adequate light over the winter, there's no reason for the plant to get dried out and chilled, as dormancy is not a necessity if you can provide enough light. When you bring the plant back out into full sunlight, it will be necessary to allow it to adapt to brighter light. The only symptom I saw, was that the leaves develop small brown spots which faded after about a month. These plants can handle a great deal of sun exposure, and exposure to general weather. I give mine a very weak fertilizer twice week. Water them every day tho....

Ditch the potting mixture AND that pot you're using. The pot doesn't allow the medium to breath, and granite chips are far too heavy. Take the plant out of the pot, and look at the roots, which should be an orangish yellow if they're healthy.

I think if you follow these general guidlines, you can nurse your plant back to health. I hope this helps.

Pease keep us posted!

--Rick in CT

Thanks for the input, rredbeard...I haven't gotten around to pulling it from its pot yet. I may do that this weekend. It seems to have perked up a tad in the last few weeks, perhaps due to the lovely weather (upper 60's/40ish lows) and more regular watering. I think it will still lose some outer leaves, but the center leaves have started to fatten up.

I think I just stressed it with underwatering to "dry it out" when it wasn't breathing on the glass shelf. (To clarify--over winter, I put it in the south-facing glass slider door on the glass tiered shelves I bought for my phal orchids. It was sitting directly on the glass shelves with no airflow under the pot. This made watering less frequent, as I'd peek under the pot to see if there was still condensation underneath and just wet the medium around the plant a couple times a week, but I noticed in early spring that some white fungus was starting to form in that humid environment (!!!)...only on the bottom of the pot..and I propped a side of the pot up at an angle after cleaning the bottom. That's when I overdid the drying regimen before placing it outside...propped up on an angle.)

I may add more potting soil or compost to the mix when I inspect the roots, but I think I will stick with the granite chips. After all, don't they grow in granite chips/dust in Lesotho? I always have grit (granite chips) on hand for the chickens and used it for aeration and drainage, although I probably went too heavy on the ratio to MG Cactus mix. And the pot isn't as bad as it looks. It is only glazed on the sides and it is a shallow, wide dish with a large drainage hole. The water drains almost immediately, but the chips absorb enough moisture to remain moist to the touch for a couple days in warm temps. The light color should help in keeping the roots cool on warmer days, as well as the dappled shade that it receives from the deck railing and tree after noon. (Ok, ok...and I HATE terra cotta. I won't go there until I kill this one!)

I'll keep you posted...I'm curious to see if the AP dug new roots into the granite mix or not. if it's contained within the peaty original mix around the rootball, I guess I'll have to consider a lighter mix like you suggest.

Your most helpful tip was that it does not need a dormancy period. I won't worry about harm from lightly fertilizing at this time of year. I'll wait another week or two until it improves a little more and recovers from my inspection, and I generally give it a drink of the orchid fertilizer (distilled water/weekly/weakly). A handful of compost added to the mix should also serve as slow-release nutrients over the winter...I should have some nice aged compost left in the corners of the bin.

Wish me luck!!
Sunshine

I spent the morning repotting a lot of the bigger plants today including 5 or 6 the aloes. Here are the results of the mixture I suggested, in a clay pot. The pot really shouldn't be deeper than it is wide.

--Rick in CT

I meant to mention that the spiral has started on mine, with about 85 leaves. This just went into a 22" pot, pictured.

--Rr

Ok, got it to work. It's a lefty! Just brought it inside for the season. 22 inch wide pot. Bottom third styrofoam peanuts. The rest is lots of size #4 perlite, supersoil, chicken grit and calclined clay. I use happy frog organic fertilizer throughout the growing season sprinkled around the plant and actino iron for supplementation. Also seaweed fertilizer. I put a rock under one side of the pot so it is tipped to the north and keep it under the canopy of a lilac bush all summer. We had a cooler then normal summer here this year and my plant adored it. Hasn't bloomed yet. Maybe next year.

Forgot to mention. The pot is one of those cheap, fake oak barrels made of plastic you can buy from Lowes for 15 bucks. Took it to my local hardware store and had 10-15 Half inch holes drilled into the bottom with a flat spade hooked to a drill bit. My plant is placed up off the ground on boards with a space in between to allow water to drain right out.

Just before I brought my aloe in for the winter today I popped it up to check the roots. They grabbed all the way down into the styrofoam and were plump and yellow. Next year in spring it will get new soil and maybe a root trim. It still had plenty of space for more rooting so will check it again next year.

I purchased more seed from China and have appox. 50 plants to transplant into 2 in. pots. They have started their 3rd. leaf so it's time to transplant. I plan to give most away next year. These are crossed with some different kinds so I will keep some myself.
Stush

Beautiful aloe, wondered why no one has this. People show pics of their greenhouse with hundreds of c&s but never this aloe. It seems like a hard one to grow and no one sells it. The people that are growing it well, you must be doing a darn good job...or be fortunate enough to be in the right climate.

The right climate helps, and it's not so difficult if you just remember that this aloe can't be allowed to dry out.
Avngal--I got the exact same pot that you did, holes in the bottom. It's actually too heavy and awkward now for me to lift myself.
What are Ecoscape prices and shipping fees like for different sizes? I couldn't find that info on their site.

--Rr