4" Aloe Congolensis, succulent plant

Aloe dorotheae hybrid?] Height: Prostrate Width: 2-4 feet Exposure: Sun or Shade Summer Dry: Yes Irrigation (H2O Info): Low Water Needs Winter Hardiness: 25-30° F Aloe congolensis (Congo Aloe) - A small clustering aloe to 6 to 8 inches tall with tight 5 inch wide rosettes on stems that lie along the ground to 2 feet long with short bright green shiny wedge-shaped leaves that have a slight recurved tip and sharp teeth - leaves take on a reddish-brown cast when drought or cold stressed. In late fall to early winter appear 1 foot tall unbranched inflorescence with reddish-orange flowers. Grows slowly and offsets to form a nice small dense groundcover and makes a nice potted specimen or even a hanging basket plant. Plant in full sun (best color) to light shade and irrigate occasionally. Hardy to 28 to 30 F. The name Aloe congolensis is not a verified species name but this plant has long been offered and passed around under this name which was first used by De Wildeman and T. Durand in 1899 but this name is often noted as “imperfectly known or doubtful” as Gilbert Reynolds does in “Aloes of Tropical Africa and Madagascar”. The entry for this plant in this book notes that the plants first described came from sandy bush near Kimuenza in the Congo and that it may be conspecific with Aloe buettneri, though images of this plant look much different and Aloe buettneri is described as having wider leaves and a bulb-like swelling not apparent in the plants known as Aloe congolensis. This name also does not appear in Aloes: The Definite Guide published in 2011. Our plants came from the UCSB Biology Greenhouse collection. This plant was particularly prone to aloe mite damage and we discontinued production of it. The information presented on this page is based on research that we have conducted about this plant in our library and from reliable online sources. We also consider observations we have made of it growing in the nursery's garden and in other gardens we have visited, as well how it performs in our nursery crops out in the field. We will incorporate comments that we receive from others as well and welcome getting feedback from anyone who may have additional information, particularly if they have knowledge of cultural information that would aid others in growing Aloe congolensis.