Guillauminia rauhii

Aloe rauhii is a rare endemic species from Madagascar. It grows between dense shrubs on sandstone. It’s a threatened species in its natural environment, but it’s successfully cultivated as an ornamental plants in 3 different continents outside its natural habitat.

Aloe rauhii, commonly named “snowflake Aloe” is a perennial,stemless plant, which tend to form small groups of individual by natural propagation thrugh many offsets (clumping). Its green leaves are arranged in a rosette. They are characteristic for the numerous white spots, H-shaped, which look like snowflakes, that’s why its common name, “Snowflake Aloe”. If exposed to full sunlight, the leaves become purple-orange. Each plant has more or less 20 leaves, with their margins always provided with short white teeth. Aloe rauhii produces a single inflorescence, more or less 30 centimeters long, with many pink-scarlet flowers grouped in a raceme.

Aloe rauhii requires a well-drained sandy to prevent roots rotting. Pay attention not to wet the leaves while watering, because they are also sensitive to rotting. Watering can be almost completely suspended in winter and, in spring and summer, you can water once or twice every two weeks, abundantly. Before each watering, it’s better to wait until the soil is completely dry. Aloe rauhii can survive to temperatures around 0ºC, but, to avoid damages, it’s better to protect it or putting it indoors in winter.

Reproduction can be done by taking off one of its offsets and replanting it in a river sand substrate.

The name Aloe comes from the Arabic word “aluat” , which means “bitter thing” because of the bitter juice of its leaves. Plants of this genus are also called “stick of heaven”, “gift of Venus”, “plants of immortality”, “silent healer”, “doctor in a jar” because of their many beneficial detoxifying and disinfecting properties, which help to heal wounds and burns.