This Aloe tenuior (also known as a Fence Aloe) is the first of the aloes in my garden to come into full bloom. The name ‘tenuior‘ means ‘very thin’ and refers to their thin rambling stems.

It is an aloe which occurs naturally in the Eastern Cape and forms large clumps topped with masses of delicate yellow or red flowers. The sprawling yellow ones spilling over the rocky terrace have still to bloom, but this one is blooming almost at ground level from a length of stem that broke off the original plant sometime during last summer. I simply stuck it into the ground and hoped for the best.