San Marcos Growers’ Final Shipments: Aloes for Propagation

 I've been purchasing stock from San Marcos Growers over the last year+ with an eye on continuing to propagate some of their interesting plants once they close. Just last week another shipment arrived and most were in great condition or were parent plants and in larger containers than ordered. At this late stage in the SMG's lifespan I will take the good with the bad as they hold a long running dutch auction.

 

Ordered: 7ga Aloe "Hellskloof Bells" - Received: lots of 15ga pots

In some cases I received more of a given plant than I'd ordered + the San Marcos sign used in the field which seemed to imply I'd gotten the last of the plants although I'm not sure that's the case. 

 

Ordered 3 Aloe "Conejo Flame" received 5

The Powys Yavello Aloe were pretty beat up so... parent plants

Several months ago I ordered a bunch of Aloe munchii which you can see in the image below. This plant makes a nice, smaller sized tree Aloe. They've grown well and will be repotted in larger containers. Some will be saved for seed production.

Lots of 5ga Aloe munchii

 

Speaking of Tree Aloes I also ordered half a dozen Aloe tongaenesis "Medusa" which I've seen growning in the ground at an outdoor mall here in the Bay Area. It was a surprise that first day coming across 10+ ft specimens growing happily at a local mall.

Aloe tongaenesis "Medusa"

 

A few of the hybrids I ordered in larger sizes are not for propagation but because the versions I'm currently growing will take years to get to this size. The perfect example of course is Aloe Hercules which designers love to include for dramatic effect.

Also ordered - several Aloe Hercules and Aloe "Samson"

 

Aloe "Yemeni Orange" is a plant that was suddenly available and one I couldn't pass up. It's parentage is reported to include Aloe sabaea.

Aloe "Yemeni Orange"

 

One of five Aloe "Yemeni Orange" ordered. 

Dyckia "Naked Lady"

Terrestrial bromeliads are new to me but I suspect they will do well here in Half Moon Bay. I only have a few. I'm curious to hear if any one else out there liked them at first sight.

 

Hechtia "Tehuacan"

Hechtia "Tehuacan"

Aloe labworana starts

Aloe labworana 1ga

I like the lower profile and spreading habit of Aloe millotii pictured below. For potted arrangements this aloe would make a decent trailing plant to spill over the edges.

Aloe millotii from Madagascar

I wasn't familiar with Aloe arenicola before buying a tray full. This is another sprawling Aloe - although I have not grown it long enough to see that trait in action.

Aloe arenicola

For a beast of a plant, Aloe pseudorubroviolacea has a very graceful form.

Aloe pseudorubroviolacea

Aloe spicata shown below looks like it was in a plant shelter just waiting to be adopted and given a better home.

Aloe spicata

If you have not seen Aloe pluridens at larger sizes, it makes a petite tree aloe with a relatively slender trunk. The San Marcos Growers plants seem to have lots of pups that grow at various points along the trunk. Possibly they reinforced this trait by propagating the offsets.

Aloe pluridens 3ga

From a previous order below is a group of large Aloe lolwensis - one of my fav's. Hopefully I'll be able to propagate more by seed from this group. Like a few other Aloes it has a stiff, almost plastic-like feel.

Oversized Aloe lolwensis in 5ga pots

Aloe lukeana

 

I didn't send much back but I considered returning these plicatilis just because they seemed so beat up. In the end I liked their overall form, and are of an age that flowers. They are not sell-able as is but time will solve that problem - or possibly they will end up be great seed producers. We already have a crop of 1ga and 2ga A. plicatilis in progress but of course it takes time get them to a larger size. 

Kumara (Aloe) plicatilis looking rough

If you live in the S. California, or the broader U.S. South West, you may have seen Euphorbia antisyphilitica used in the landscape. This plant reminds me of Equisetum (Horsetail) because of it's form and spreading habit - but it needs a fraction of the water preferred by Horsetail. Just visible in the background are some larger, happier specimens from an order last year.

Euphorbia antisyphilitica

 

These are of course just a few of the plants I've received from San Marcos Growers over the last 2+ years - there are lots more. I'll continue propagating what I can and make the plants available in the trades or online for retail customers.