Prickly greenery,
Nature's lotion is inside,
skin soothed on contact
- Unknown
An aloe – spiky, soothing, fragrant, bitter – just love this time of the year when they all start flowering...
::
Showing posts with label Aloes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aloes. Show all posts
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Each Flower is a Soul - Maree
Each flower is a soul opening out to nature.
- Gerard De Nerval
All the Aloes are in full flower and although the winter got 3 of my Aloe ferox, burnt the flowers brown, this one has managed to come up with one beautiful flower stalk. I haven't got them planted in a rockery, the rocks here are just wishful thinking for me!
This hardy plant, indigenous to South Africa, with its succulent leaves, can survive the harshest conditions. When damaged by man or animal, the plant seals off any wound with a sticky, dark liquid that prevents infestation by virus, fungus or insect. This dark liquid has been successfully used by ancient inhabitants as a traditional remedy for many ailments.
Aloe ferox is listed on the plant list of endangered plants, along with other wild species of this genus, so my three are very precious to me. Also known as Cape Aloe, Bitter Aloe, Red Aloe and Tap Aloe.
- Gerard De Nerval
All the Aloes are in full flower and although the winter got 3 of my Aloe ferox, burnt the flowers brown, this one has managed to come up with one beautiful flower stalk. I haven't got them planted in a rockery, the rocks here are just wishful thinking for me!
This hardy plant, indigenous to South Africa, with its succulent leaves, can survive the harshest conditions. When damaged by man or animal, the plant seals off any wound with a sticky, dark liquid that prevents infestation by virus, fungus or insect. This dark liquid has been successfully used by ancient inhabitants as a traditional remedy for many ailments.
Aloe ferox is listed on the plant list of endangered plants, along with other wild species of this genus, so my three are very precious to me. Also known as Cape Aloe, Bitter Aloe, Red Aloe and Tap Aloe.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Grass Aloes in Tarlton - Maree
I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.
- John Muir (1838 - 1914)
I found a large clump of Grass Aloes not far from home on the road to Magaliesburg, flowering profusely after all the veld fires we have had this winter, spread out over the charred landscape, providing bursts of red colour.
Grass Aloes are an appealing group of deciduous aloes. As the name implies, they grow mainly in grasslands subject to winter fires. Their leaves and colours resemble their habitat, making them difficult to find when not in flower. These largely miniature aloes have very attractive flowers, making them desirable, if difficult, plants to cultivate. Their growing pattern is closely related to the winter fire cycles of the veld, some species responding directly to burning and producing leaves, flowers and later seed after such events.
This interesting aloe belongs to a group of deciduous aloes known as the "Grass Aloes" which are adapted to grassland habitat and are able to survive both fire and frost during the cold dry months. They are often burned during winter by our veld fires and then re-sprout with the onset of spring. Fires are essential ecological processes in grass aloe autecology.
This well known grass aloe is commonly found along rocky ridges and rocky slopes on the Witwatersrand and Magaliesberg as well as in mountainous areas of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga. In years gone by it was even more prolific, but numbers have been greatly reduced due to development on the ridges and from harvesting by succulent collectors. A number of different forms are found throughout its distribution range.
FIRE AND BURNING, THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF GRASS ALOES.
Grass fires used to be less frequent in earlier centuries. They were initiated by lightning strikes, on the whole, at the beginning of the rainy season in September and October. These fires were ideal in that they cleared the habitat of moribund grass and other vegetation just before grass aloe species initiated their growth cycles.
Fires are more frequent nowadays and may occur at any time during the dry winter months from May until late spring, October. Plants are as a result, left exposed to harsh conditions for many months before they start to grow. Some species are even starting to appear on the endangered species list.
- John Muir (1838 - 1914)
I found a large clump of Grass Aloes not far from home on the road to Magaliesburg, flowering profusely after all the veld fires we have had this winter, spread out over the charred landscape, providing bursts of red colour.
Grass Aloes are an appealing group of deciduous aloes. As the name implies, they grow mainly in grasslands subject to winter fires. Their leaves and colours resemble their habitat, making them difficult to find when not in flower. These largely miniature aloes have very attractive flowers, making them desirable, if difficult, plants to cultivate. Their growing pattern is closely related to the winter fire cycles of the veld, some species responding directly to burning and producing leaves, flowers and later seed after such events.
This interesting aloe belongs to a group of deciduous aloes known as the "Grass Aloes" which are adapted to grassland habitat and are able to survive both fire and frost during the cold dry months. They are often burned during winter by our veld fires and then re-sprout with the onset of spring. Fires are essential ecological processes in grass aloe autecology.
This well known grass aloe is commonly found along rocky ridges and rocky slopes on the Witwatersrand and Magaliesberg as well as in mountainous areas of the Northern Province and Mpumalanga. In years gone by it was even more prolific, but numbers have been greatly reduced due to development on the ridges and from harvesting by succulent collectors. A number of different forms are found throughout its distribution range.
FIRE AND BURNING, THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN THE LIFE CYCLE OF GRASS ALOES.
Grass fires used to be less frequent in earlier centuries. They were initiated by lightning strikes, on the whole, at the beginning of the rainy season in September and October. These fires were ideal in that they cleared the habitat of moribund grass and other vegetation just before grass aloe species initiated their growth cycles.
Fires are more frequent nowadays and may occur at any time during the dry winter months from May until late spring, October. Plants are as a result, left exposed to harsh conditions for many months before they start to grow. Some species are even starting to appear on the endangered species list.
Info from Succulents.net
Friday, October 9, 2009
A Gift from Nature - Maree Clarkson
If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.
~Audra Foveo
"Aloe" pencil sketch and watercolour - a page from my Journal
(Click on image to enlarge)
I did this sketch of an Aloe in my garden after I had noticed that the Blackbirds were all visiting this one, and the reason was soon apparent - it was fairly dripping with nectar! The flowers always seem to produce the most nectar just as they're getting to the end of their life-span. It's their special gift to nature.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)