About Aloiampelos striatula (Haw.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm.
Aloiampelos striatula (Haw.) Klopper & Gideon F.Sm. is a robust rambling plant that can grow into a large shrub reaching up to 2 meters in height. It is closely related to Aloiampelos commixta native to Cape Town, but it can be easily distinguished from that species by the distinctive dark green stripes on its stems and leaf sheaths, and by its thin, recurved leaves. Its species epithet striatula means "little stripes", in reference to these dark green stripes, and both its leaves and flowers are more densely packed than those of A. commixta. The leaves of this species are dark green and strongly recurved, with numerous small white teeth along their margins. Its flowers are reddish-orange, and grow densely on tall, unbranched, 40-centimeter cone-shaped racemes throughout the summer. A unique variety of this species, var. caesia, grows only around Molteno in the Eastern Cape, and has lighter grey-green leaves and bright yellow flowers. In the wild, Aloiampelos striatula occurs naturally in the mountains of the Karoo region of South Africa, located between the Eastern Cape towns of Graaff-Reinet and Queenstown, with its range extending into the Free State and Lesotho. This species is very tough and hardy, and has been planted widely in gardens both in South Africa and across the world. While it is most closely related to the rare Aloiampelos commixta of Table Mountain, it is part of the genus Aloiampelos, which grows throughout Southern Africa. Other species in this genus are Aloiampelos ciliaris, Aloiampelos tenuior, Aloiampelos gracilis, Aloiampelos juddii, and Aloiampelos decumbens, alongside A. commixta and A. striatula. As one of the hardiest members of the aloe group and their relatives, it tolerates a wide range of growing conditions, and is commonly known as the "hardy aloe". It tolerates much colder temperatures than most aloes and their relatives, including frost and even some light snow, but it prefers growing in full sun and well-drained soil. In the Eastern Cape, it is often planted along the boundaries of livestock enclosures (kraals), because it naturally forms a well-shaped and hardy hedge. Like other climbing aloes, it can be easily propagated from cuttings (truncheons) as well as from seed. Due to its similar species name, Aloiampelos striatula is often confused in published literature with Aloe striata, commonly called coral aloe. This plant has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
