Aloe juvenna vs Aloe squarrosa

[Kelly Griffin]

I feel like it is important to point out errors when you see them but this one is so blatant and yet so seemingly impossible to resolve.

I googled Aloe squarrosa and only two of the umpteen pictures were not Aloe juvenna. Even the Succulent ID book got it wrong so you have some errors reinforced. I have seen way too many plants of Aloe juvenna sold mistakenly on e-bay as squarrosa. juvenna is everywhere and seldom do you see real squarrosa.

The plant that makes chains with leaves always retained is juvenna (sometimes they get streched a bit but always straight) squarrosa seen only rarely has recurved and SPOTTED leaves that are not retained the length of the stem......there are only a couple of pictures out there of that.




Aloe squarrosa



Aloe squarrosa



Aloe juvenna note the difference of growth, when grown in bright light the leaves are very compact, and more streched when in lower light.

Kelly Griffin

[rpw]

Seldom seen, yet its beauty puts the imposter to shame....
Why is the real squarrosa so rarely seen?
Most aloes are easy to propagate, so why is this one such a recluse???
Peyton

[Kelly Griffin]

really simple answers. one grows slowly and is not so much in cultivation the other grows easily and has spread around like disease. I might add that when one is "offered" squarrosa and gets juvenna then the market for the real one is absolutely slaughtered. So many people have told me they already have squarrosa so who would want it? juvenna wins!

Kelly

[Ron]

Kelly, I have a patch of A. juvenna growing in the yard. It is about two feet diameter. Right next to it, I have a smaller, newer patch of A. juvenna but the rosettes are 2-3 times the size. Otherwise the plants look identical to me and neither patch has ever bloomed. Are there different forms of A. juvenna?

[Stan]

Here's my A.squarrosa in Hayward-nor cal. I was given two cuttings last summer. I like the adults light color leafs with spotting. Doesnt seem especially tender taking two nights of 33~,unprotected. Actually, I meant to protect them so as not to take chances-but forgot. I lose some things that way...

[Stan]

I got to get in ground..

[sroberts]

Hate to throw a wrench into another old post but how does Aloe 'Minibelle' fit in with these two species? I now realize the difference between Aloe juvenna and Aloe squarrosa, but I can't find any information on Aloe 'Minibelle' except that it is a cultivar. Does anyone have any info on it's lineage and how to tell it apart from these two other Aloes?

Steve

[Adesertwind]

The 'Minibelle' that I am familiar with is similar in color to juvenna, but rather than grlow upward in a columnar fashion, it forms a laterally growing, fairly flat "starfish" rosette. I feel that they must be related as the inflorescence of both is very similar, but have never come across any mention of parentage. Hope this helps.

[Duke]

The reason for such confusion over A. squarrosa and A. juvenna was solved for some several years ago when they were all published as being variants of A. squarrosa. There was a least one other previously described species lumped at the same time. Time permitting, I'll try to locate the published material.

[Tim Harvey]

Duke, perhaps you mean squarrosa and zanzibarica?

Squarrosa and juvenna are very different plants, with distinct features and very different localities.

T

[Duke]

A. zanzibarica was the other name I couldn't recall. I did not personally see the text of the article, but was told of those three names together. I agree that it was a bit much on the lumping side, but I'm certain that A. juvenna was mentioned as a synonym of A. squarrosa. With any luck, I was merely a recipient of blown smoke.

[Kelly Griffin]

I cannot imagine them being lumped as they do not overlap in the wild what so ever and the perianths and other flower parts are not the same in these two.

[Duke]

It's tough for me to imagine a lot of lumping (and splitting) that has taken place, but it's not likely to change much. I hope I'm not out of line for doing this from memory, but it seems that A. squarrosa is from the horn of Africa (Yemen or Oman) and A. zanzibarica is obviously from Zanzibar; ergo, these two species don't come close to overlapping either. The most amazing to me will always be Aloe alooides… an Aloe that looks like an Aloe. Perhaps someone will name a Manfreda M. agavoides so that it can eventually become Agave agavoides.

Since the taxonomists don't seem to agree on much of the nomenclature, it's doubtful that we'll be able to resolve these issues on this forum.