Aloe polyphylla
I find the inconstant nature of the plant world fascinating. I’ve never looked at a rose and wished that all of the leaves grew equally spaced like some AI-generated picture of nature.
Or that a Japanese maple was totally symmetrical. I think the irregular gaps in a ginkgo tree that let the sunlight shine through are just as beautiful as the densely packed branches and I wouldn’t wish them away.
But the precise arrangement of the leaves of spiral aloe (Aloe polyphylla) reflects the incredible complexity of the natural word. There’s something so satisfying about its geometric shape.
I say “something,” but no doubt its pleasing arrangement speaks to the innately appealing shape of the golden ratio and Fibonacci sequence found in nature.
The “golden ratio” is a mathematical ratio where one portion is exactly half the length of the longer portion.
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This ratio is associated with beauty and harmony and is echoed in manmade art and architecture. The Fibonacci sequence illustrates this ratio.
It’s hard to find a plant that more obviously illustrates these concepts in nature than the evenly-spaced growth pattern of spiral aloe.
Now, obviously, I would never play favorites with my succulents any more than a parent would declare they have a favorite child.
But the many-leaved aloe, as it’s also known, is definitely at the top of my list. If I could only save one succulent in my garden, you know which one I’m picking.
In this guide, I’ll give you some objective facts about caring for this striking plant, but I’m not going to try and pretend that I’m not completely obsessed by it!
Here’s what we’ll discuss, sprinkled with lots of admiration:
I don’t know about you, but I like knowing the history of the plants I grow. Sometimes it helps me understand more about how to care for them, and sometimes it’s just interesting information.
So before we start digging into care, let’s look at how it got from its African home to our homes and gardens.
What Is Spiral Aloe?
If you head to the cool, wet mountains of Lesotho in southern Africa at elevations from about 6,500 to 8,500 feet, you’ll find spiral aloes growing on the basalt cliffs, slopes, and rocky areas in the Drakensberg and Maluti mountain ranges.
That’s the only place in the whole world where they can be found indigenously, though they have naturalized in areas with similar climates.
The plants only grow in spots that face towards the equator and are consistently moist, with rich soil.
Sadly, the plant has been overharvested in the wild and is now rare in its original home.
On top of that, the malachite sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) that helps pollinate this aloe in the wild is experiencing a reduction in numbers, which doesn’t help the situation.
The species name polyphylla means many-leaved. Poly is Greek for many, and phylla is Greek for leaves, which is fitting for this plant. It doesn’t have a stem but instead lots of thick, succulent, pointed leaves.
Five rows on each plant, to be exact, and each row can have up to 30 leaves.
These spirals gradually expand clockwise or counter-clockwise to form those five rows of fat, gray-green, serrated leaves with purple spiky tips.
At maturity, which can take up to a decade, the plant sends up a thick, tall, branched inflorescence with yellow, red, or salmon flowers. Once these fade, seeds develop.
A mature plant might also start to split. I think it’s super interesting when this happens, because instead of one single origin point of the spiral, the aloe will develop two origin points where the spiraling rows emerge from.
You can separate these or leave them in place and the plant will eventually divide itself in two.
These plants can reach between three and four feet wide and a foot tall before they begin to split.
Because they are from a relatively cool part of the world, A. polyphylla can tolerate cooler temperatures than many other aloe species. They are hardy in Zones 7 to 11.
Spiral Aloe Propagation
I first saw this plant as the background of a friend’s computer screen and I was smitten.
I went on a mission to find one of my own and it took a long time. Of course, this was decades ago and there were fewer options out there.
These days, lots of retailers carry live plants and if you have access to a mature plant you can harvest seeds.
Many aloes send out pups or offsets, and you can propagate these. Spiral aloe is technically capable of putting out offsets, but it’s not common and they don’t seem to survive well after transplanting.
If you do have some offsets that you’d like to transplant, read our guide for tips.
Unlike many succulents, you can’t propagate the leaves of spiral aloe.
If you’re lucky enough to have access to a live plant or a reputable seed seller, read on to learn more about starting these plants from seed.
From Seed
You can propagate spiral aloe from seed, but keep in mind that some online sellers will mislabel the seeds. Look for reputable sellers who provide tested and proven seeds.
Even reputable sellers may sometimes have seeds that produce plants that are “confused.” That means the leaf sequence won’t grow in the pattern you’re expecting.
They might be stacked or staggered rather than spiraled. Some plants will correct their growth as they mature.
Since these plants rarely flower in cultivation, sourcing viable seeds can be difficult.
You need to surface sow the seeds and keep them in temperatures between 60 to 70°F. The medium should be kept moist at all times. Wait until the plant has at least six true leaves before transplanting.
To learn more about how to start aloe from seed, read our comprehensive guide.
From Divisions
As mentioned, spiral aloes naturally begin to split into two plants as they age.
You can take advantage of this phenomenon to divide your plant into multiples. Once the plant has split and has two distinct points of origin in the spirals, you can split it up.
To do this, you’ll dig up the plant and brush away the soil. Look for the spot where the plants are separating and gently tease them apart. Then, replant each section.
Read our guide to dividing aloe for more advice.
I recommend you wear long sleeves and gloves when working with this plant because the points on the leaves can cause injury.
From Transplants
Be careful about where you purchase your plant, as while it’s illegal to harvest them from the wild, poachers still remove them and offer them for sale.
Make sure your seller is sourcing them from a reputable grower.
When they are young, the plants don’t yet have the distinct spiral formation.
This comes with age, so don’t panic if the one you find at the store or receive in the mail doesn’t look like the gracefully spiraling ones you see in pictures. That will come with time.
When you have your plant, either grab a pot about the same size or one size up from the current growing container.
Or if you are planning to grow your specimen outdoors, dig a hole in the garden about the size of the growing container.
If you have somewhat heavy soil, dig a hole three times the width and twice the depth of the container, and work in equal parts well-rotted compost into the removed dirt.
You can also add some lava rock or perlite to facilitate drainage. Backfill the hole with the mixture, leaving a small hole the size of the growing container for planting.
Gently remove the plant from its pot by squeezing the sides, letting the soil fall away from around the plant’s roots.
Fill the new container with a succulent potting mix so that the spiral aloe will be sitting at the same height it was in the previous container.
Set the plant in place and fill in around the roots with more succulent potting mix, or soil if you’re transplanting into the garden.
Gently press the medium or soil and add more if necessary.
How to Grow Spiral Aloe
Spiral aloe needs a full to partial sun location to thrive. It prefers coolish climates, so if you live somewhere with very high temperatures, plant it somewhere with afternoon shade to protect it from the hottest time of the day.
If you are growing yours as a houseplant, provide four to six hours of direct sun per day. That means a south- or west-facing window is ideal.
These plants do their growing when temperatures are between 50 to 80°F, but they can tolerate a freeze.
If you live in Zone 7, you might want to cover the plant in frost cloth if it isn’t covered in snow, just to be safe.
Don’t overwater your spiral aloe. I’m telling you, overwatering will quickly result in root rot, and it happens to so many aloes and other succulents.
Let the ground or potting medium dry out completely between watering. Each time before you water, stick a finger in the soil. It should feel dry as deep as you can reach.
In the winter, the plant goes semi-dormant and requires even less water than it does during the growing season. Let the soil dry out for a week or two before you water again.
If you’re growing outdoors, add some perlite or lava rock to the soil to help loosen it up.
For container-growing, choose a well-draining succulent or cactus medium.
Alternatively, you can make your own succulent potting mix. Spiral aloe prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0.
I like Tank’s-Pro Cactus & Succulent Mix, with its perfect mixture of pumice, coco chips, and organic compost.
Tank’s-Pro Cactus & Succulent Mix
Arbico Organics carries this mix in one-and-a-half cubic foot bags.
Speaking of containers, choose one that is made from wood, ceramic, or terra cotta to prevent the soil from overheating. If the soil temperature rises above 80°F it could kill your aloe.
The ultimate size of the container will need to be extremely large if you want your aloe to spiral out as large as it can.
Depending on the size of the specimen you can start it in a smaller container, obviously, but you’ll eventually need to upgrade to something potentially as large as a half barrel that can hold over 20 gallons of soil to accommodate a mature plant. This can happen in about seven years.
Containers are an excellent option for those of us who have heavy, clay soil in our gardens.
Don’t feed outdoor plants. Those growing indoors can be fed once in the spring with a slow-release cactus fertilizer or once in spring, summer, and fall with a standard fertilizer. Don’t use granular fertilizer.
Dr. Earth has an excellent cactus and succulent food made out of supermarket food scrap waste in a convenient pump container.
Dr. Earth Succulence
You can find Dr. Earth Succulence in 16-ounce bottles at Arbico Organics.
Learn more about how to fertilize aloe in our guide.
Don’t expect the distinctive spiral pattern to develop until the plant has 45 leaves – five rows of seven leaves. That’s when the pattern becomes obvious.
Growing Tips
- Grow in full sun with afternoon shade in hot climates.
- Allow the soil to dry out completely between watering.
- Feed in spring with a slow-release food or once in spring, summer, and fall with a standard food.
Maintenance
If any of the leaves become diseased, turn yellow or brown, or break, don’t remove them.
Wait until they dry up and detach naturally. Pulling or cutting off damaged or discolored leaves can cause more harm than good.
I know it’s not pretty, but resist the urge to get in there and clean things up until the leaf can be pulled away without having to tug it.
Think of spiral aloe as the anti-maintenance plant. Give it the conditions it prefers and let it be.
As your aloe grows and reaches the edges of its container, you’ll want to repot your aloe into a larger pot.
Remove the plant from its container, discard all the excess soil, and put a layer of cactus and succulent potting medium in the new container.
Set the plant in place and fill in around the roots with more potting medium.
Where to Buy
This plant has been overharvested in the wild and is in danger of extinction.
Be super cautious when purchasing and make sure you find a reputable seller that doesn’t sell poached plants or seeds.
You’ll likely find spiral aloe available at specialty nurseries, especially those that focus on succulents and xeriscaping.
Managing Pests and Disease
Stressed spiral aloe plants are more susceptible to problems, particularly from pests, than those that are happy.
Keeping the plant in the right conditions and providing the right care will go a long way towards avoiding problems with pests and disease.
That said, even the best cared-for plant can face issues. Let’s talk about a few pests that love to snack on spiral aloe.
Pests
Aloe mites are devastating pests that do a lot of damage and are impossible to eliminate. Let’s talk about those, first.
Aloe Mites
A close relative of spider mites, aloe mites (Eriophyes aloines) infest the top of the roots of aloe plants where the leaves emerge.
When they feed, they cause the plant to collapse, which can often be mistaken for root rot, which we’ll discuss below. The larvae can only be seen with a magnifying glass, so it can be hard to tell they’re present.
You’ll need to check the roots to see if they’re rotting and look for the adult mites, which you can see crawling around if you use a hand lens.
If the plant has a mite infestation, there is no cure and you’ll need to dispose of the plant to prevent the mites from spreading.
Aphids
While there can be several different aphid species that feed on aloes, aloe vera aphid (Aloephagus myersi) is the major player in California and Florida.
They haven’t yet been reported outside of these areas at the time of writing.
Regardless of the species, all aphids are sapsucking insects that cluster and feed on plant tissue.
They like to hide in protected areas, which makes it hard to spot them on spiral aloes, because there are so many nooks and crannies in between the leaves.
More than likely, it’s the damage you’ll see rather than the pests themselves. As they use their sucking mouthparts, they drain sap, leaving speckled yellowing on the leaves.
You might also see sticky honeydew, which is essentially aphid poop, and the dark, black fungus called sooty mold that is attracted to the honeydew.
If your specimen has an aphid infestation, you’ll need to saturate the plant in insecticidal soap once every few weeks, taking care to get into the folds in between the leaves.
Bonide Insecticidal Super Soap
I like to use Bonide Insecticidal Super Soap, which is available from Arbico Organics in quart-sized, ready-to-spray bottles. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for application.
Springtails
Springtails are tiny insects that feed on fungi and decaying roots in the soil.
They need high moisture in the soil to thrive, so they shouldn’t usually be a problem if you’re letting the soil dry out completely.
They don’t usually cause much damage, but their presence is an indication that the conditions are all wrong for your spiral aloe.
Reduce watering or cover your plant if it’s the rainy season. When you correct the environment, the springtail problem will solve itself.
Disease
Root rot is a common and deadly problem in all types of aloes. It has two causes. The first is simply drowning the roots in so much water that they can’t breathe.
The other is fungal pathogens in the Fusarium genus, which are attracted to wet soil. Either way, too much water is the main driver.
When root rot sets in, the tips of the leaves will turn black. The roots will be brown, soft, and mushy. If you suspect root rot, remove the plant from the container and spray off the soil from the roots.
Feel the roots and remove any that are completely mushy. Those that feel a little firm can usually be saved.
Scrape off any dead material from the outside of the roots using a knife. You want to reveal the firm, yellow tissue underneath.
Replant and don’t water again until you can gently wiggle the plant and it stays in place rather than wobbling, indicating it has developed new roots.
Learn more about root rot in our guide.
Best Uses for Spiral Aloe
You don’t need more than one spiral aloe to make a big impact, but you could certainly group three or five for a wow factor.
Otherwise, let it take centerstage in a succulent garden. You can grow it inside as a houseplant if you have enough light or outside in a container.
Quick Reference Growing Guide
| Plant Type: | Evergreen succulent | Flower / Foliage Color: | Salmon pink, red, yellow/ green |
| Native to: | Lesotho | Water Needs: | Low |
| Hardiness (USDA Zone): | 7-11 | Maintenance | Low |
| Bloom Time: | Spring/summer | Tolerance: | Freeze, drought |
| Exposure: | Full sun to partial sun | Soil Type: | Loose, succulent potting mix |
| Spacing: | 3 feet | Soil pH: | 5.5-7.0 |
| Planting Depth: | Same depth as original container | Soil Drainage: | Well-draining |
| Height: | 1 foot | Uses: | Containers, rock gardens, xeric gardens |
| Time to Maturity: | Up to 10 years | Family: | Asphodelaceae |
| Growth Rate: | Slow-moderate | Genus: | Aloe |
| Common Pests and Diseases: | Mealybugs, scale; root rot | Species: | Polyphylla |
Nature’s Architecture at its Finest
Spiral aloe is striking. I see people use photos of this plant as a wallpaper on their phones and computers.
It’s regularly used as an example of the Fibonacci sequence. A. polyphylla is one of those plants that looks so perfect and unusual that it’s hard to believe it’s real.
What do you love about spiral aloe? Is it the symmetry? What’s drawing you to this plant and how will you use it? Let us know in the comments!
And for more information about growing aloe, add these guides to your reading list next:
