Old Curving Aloe Plant

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Old Curving Aloe Plant

by Roxanne Rench
(Geneva, IL)

Curving Aloe

My aloe plant is about 24yrs old & it's curved & very heavy on one side. It always produces "babies" that I remove when they get a yr or two old. Is there a way to get my mother plant to straighten out, after all these yrs?

Drought Smart Plants reply:

That is one venerable old Aloe!

I don't think you could straighten out a stem that long after this length of time, as it probably lacked light at some time in the past and got etiolated (stretching towards the light). Unfortunately now it's probably quite brittle, and trying to straighten it will break it.

Thanks for sharing this great plant, Roxanne - may it live many more years under your care!

Happy Succulent Gardening!

Jacki

See these pages with more;

Aloe succulent plants

Aloe plants

And don't miss Andrews adventures with his Aloe and tall and spikey trying to die again

Comments for
Old Curving Aloe Plant

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Sep 27, 2010

Senior Aloe
by: Countrymouse

Wow!! That is one old plant... and a great producer from the sounds of things.
Do you give the pot a quarter turn every day? As Jacki said it may not take well to a physical attempt to straighten it, but if you turn it daily, or perhaps leave it a week or so at a time with the long end facing AWAY from the sun, it may lean the other way.
However, it may take just as long to straighten out as it did to grow crooked so you may be no further ahead.
It's a great old plant though, I'd just appreciate it for what it is and continue to give it the wonderfully nurturing care you are.

Sep 27, 2010

Love my plants
by: Roxanne

Thanks for the nice words about my aloe. I do love it so! When I repot it after removing the babies, I do give it a slight turn in hopes that I can keep it in it's pot. LOL I've actually had to "prop" it up at times. It's been in my kitchen window it's whole life (facing east) so, there it'll live out it's life.

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