Synonyms:

No synonyms are recorded for this species name.

Habitat:

Aloe “Jurassic Spider” is a nursery cultivar, and thus it doesn’t exist in nature. Aloes in general are native to several areas of Africa, including South Africa, Namibia, and surrounding countries such as Saudi Arabia and Madagascar. Its habitat are semi-arid areas such as the Karoo desert in South Africa.

Description:

Aloe “Jurassic Spider” is a nursery cultivar, very appreciated for its leopard-print foliage, dark green with lighter green/yellowish spots abundantly present throughout the leaf surface. It is a perennial plant, forming rosettes of triangular, elongated leaves, with finely serrated edges. The rosettes tend to multiply agamically and occupy the whole surface of the pot, unless you remove the offsets periodically, to give the mother plant a chance to grow in size without competition from surrounding rosettes. Unlike Aloe vera, its leaves are not deemed to have medicinal properties. Being a hybrid, it doesn’t bloom frequently and its seeds produce unstable progeny. If exposed to direct sunlight, it will show some red tinges on the edges of its leaves.

Cultivation:

Aloe “Jurassic Spider” is considered an easy species to grow, being particularly undemanding and fast-growing. Here below are our cultivation tips:

It needs bright light, though it enjoys some shade in the hottest hours of the Summer. During the summer, in fact, an excessively direct exposure to sunlight might cause a change in the colour of the leaves, that turn deep purple. It is a sign that the plant is suffering, and that you should move it in the shade at least during the central hours of the day.
Aloe “Jurassic Spider” enjoys warm temperatures: it thrives at 20-24ºC. Its minimum tolerable temperature is around 5 to 8ºC above zero. In Winter, we advise to place it indoors, also to avoid winter rainfall that may cause root rottings.
Water regularly and abundantly in Spring and Summer, which is its growth season. As Autumn approaches and temperatures become cooler, reduce the watering frequency until suspending completely any irrigation in Winter. The root system of Aloe “Jurassic Spider” is fragile and subsceptible to rot: wait always for the soil to dry up completely before each watering. If the soil gets too wet, the plant stops its growth, but it usually manages to recover well, being a very hardy plant.
Choose a well-drained substrate to host its fragile roots: a specific mix for succulents will do good, or either a standard soil with some sandy matter or perlite added.
Fertilization can be carried out once a year with a product specifically formulated for succulents: rich in Nitrogen and poor in Phosphorus and Potassium.
The additional task required for the maintainance of Aloe “Jurassic Spider” are the removal of the numerous offsets that sprout in Spring, that tend to occupy the entire space of the pot and may hamper the growthin size of the main plant; and the removal of old flower stalks.
Repotting should be carried out every Spring, as Aloe “Jurassic Spider” is a fast-growing species and needs space to develop. Choose wide, shallop pots, better if in clay rather than in plastics.

Propagation:

The easiest method of propagation of Aloe “Jurassic Spider” is the division of the clumps. This species tends in fact to propagate horizontally by forming numerous lateral offsets. It will be sufficient to detach one of these with its own roots and replanting it in a separate pot.

Curiosity:

Many Aloe species, especially Aloe vera, are traditionally used for the medicinal properties of the jelly substances contained in their leaves. However, there is no evidence regarding alleged medicinal properties of Aloe “Jurassic Spider” gel.

Official Web Site:
www.giromagi.com

Italian Blog:
www.giromagicactus.com

Tips:
Read our advice