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Dec 22, 2015 6:41 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Julie
La Crescenta, CA (Zone 10a)
Cactus and Succulents Tomato Heads Roses Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Moon Gardener Garden Photography
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Look! A bud!

Thanks for helping me ID this puppy!

"Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?"
~Betsy Cañas Garmon
https://www.ButcherShop-NoBone...
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Dec 23, 2015 2:05 AM CST
Name: Myriam Vandenberghe
Ghent, Belgium (Zone 8a)
Bee Lover Organic Gardener Native Plants and Wildflowers Frogs and Toads Ferns I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
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Maybe Aloe vera? but there might be many look-a-likes..
Aloe Vera (Aloe vera)
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Dec 25, 2015 1:13 PM CST
Name: Dave Paul
Puna, HI (Zone 10b)
Live in a rainforest, get wet feet.
Plant Identifier
It does look like Aloe vera.
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Jan 3, 2016 11:14 AM CST
Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)
Cactus and Succulents Seed Starter Xeriscape Container Gardener Hummingbirder Native Plants and Wildflowers
Garden Photography Region: Mexico Plant Identifier Forum moderator Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Level 2
The spines are too pronounced to be Aloe vera. You will have a much better idea what your plant is when the flowers open (inflorescence in bud looking great). Maybe post another photo then?
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Jan 16, 2016 5:20 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Julie
La Crescenta, CA (Zone 10a)
Cactus and Succulents Tomato Heads Roses Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Moon Gardener Garden Photography
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Hasn't bloomed yet but look how big it's getting! (I've never really had succulents bloom before so please excuse my giddiness!)

We treat it as if it were an aloe vera & it works on all things external BTW

Thumb of 2016-01-16/JulieB/be6bda
"Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?"
~Betsy Cañas Garmon
https://www.ButcherShop-NoBone...
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Jan 17, 2016 1:18 AM CST
Name: Leslieray Hurlburt
Sacramento California (Zone 9b)
The WITWIT Badge Region: California Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Xeriscape Native Plants and Wildflowers Salvias
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Perhaps A. 'Blue Elf'.
Hamilton Square Garden, Historic City Cemetery, Sacramento California.
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Jan 17, 2016 12:55 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Julie
La Crescenta, CA (Zone 10a)
Cactus and Succulents Tomato Heads Roses Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Moon Gardener Garden Photography
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@HamiltonSquare Looks much more like it than Vera, I think. The bottoms of the trunks on the Blue Elf look a bit thicker than mine, but mine is a youngun then.

I'll share flower pictures! A second is blooming as well! How exciting!

Thank you!

Thumb of 2016-01-17/JulieB/5ca94b
"Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?"
~Betsy Cañas Garmon
https://www.ButcherShop-NoBone...
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Jan 17, 2016 5:38 PM CST
Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)
Cactus and Succulents Seed Starter Xeriscape Container Gardener Hummingbirder Native Plants and Wildflowers
Garden Photography Region: Mexico Plant Identifier Forum moderator Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Level 2
I don't have any experience with "Blue Elf" but that could be it (color related to exposure). The bracts on the inflorescence are quite reminiscent of Aloe humilis (pictured), which is supposed to be one of "Blue Elf"'s parents.

Thumb of 2016-01-17/Baja_Costero/c1235b
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Jan 17, 2016 9:11 PM CST
Name: Thijs van Soest
Tempe, AZ (Zone 9b)
Region: Arizona Enjoys or suffers hot summers Cactus and Succulents Xeriscape Adeniums Hybridizer
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Can you post an overview photo of the plant? A. x 'blue elf' is a very heavy clumper and tends to have a pretty distinctive 'habit'. From your close-up pictures it is hard to see what your plant looks like as a whole.
I think A. x 'blue elf' is a pretty good suggestion, here is a picture of my clump maybe comparison with that will help. It also has A. x 'rooikappie' in the back ground (with the flowers) and A. vera var. chinensis (or A. massawana - but A. vera var. chinensis is more likely given the climate here in Mesa, AZ, but the flowers on the plants are very very similar), which is the big clump with the flower buds in the back ground on the left .

It is what it is!
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Jan 25, 2016 8:50 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Julie
La Crescenta, CA (Zone 10a)
Cactus and Succulents Tomato Heads Roses Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Moon Gardener Garden Photography
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Here's the bottom of my aloe -- she's growing in a pot FYI -- looks more like the blue elf than vera IMHO -- still waiting for blooms!

Thumb of 2016-01-26/JulieB/816dc3
"Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?"
~Betsy Cañas Garmon
https://www.ButcherShop-NoBone...
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Jan 25, 2016 8:57 PM CST
Name: Thijs van Soest
Tempe, AZ (Zone 9b)
Region: Arizona Enjoys or suffers hot summers Cactus and Succulents Xeriscape Adeniums Hybridizer
Plant Identifier Plant and/or Seed Trader Cat Lover Dog Lover Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge)
Hi Julie,

I think you are correct in that it is Aloe 'Blue Elf'.
It is what it is!
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Jan 26, 2016 6:29 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Julie
La Crescenta, CA (Zone 10a)
Cactus and Succulents Tomato Heads Roses Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Moon Gardener Garden Photography
Bookworm Butterflies Hummingbirder Dog Lover Cat Lover Container Gardener
Baja_Costero said:I don't have any experience with "Blue Elf" but that could be it (color related to exposure). The bracts on the inflorescence are quite reminiscent of Aloe humilis (pictured), which is supposed to be one of "Blue Elf"'s parents.

Thumb of 2016-01-17/Baja_Costero/c1235b



It's beautiful!
"Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?"
~Betsy Cañas Garmon
https://www.ButcherShop-NoBone...
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Feb 3, 2016 11:30 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Julie
La Crescenta, CA (Zone 10a)
Cactus and Succulents Tomato Heads Roses Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Moon Gardener Garden Photography
Bookworm Butterflies Hummingbirder Dog Lover Cat Lover Container Gardener
I believe it can be affirmed as an Aloe Blue Elf now; these blooms look just like those 'though not as pretty!

Thumb of 2016-02-03/JulieB/4b9bcb
"Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?"
~Betsy Cañas Garmon
https://www.ButcherShop-NoBone...
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Feb 4, 2016 7:37 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Julie
La Crescenta, CA (Zone 10a)
Cactus and Succulents Tomato Heads Roses Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Moon Gardener Garden Photography
Bookworm Butterflies Hummingbirder Dog Lover Cat Lover Container Gardener
I added this picture to the database as Blue Elf -- thank you so much for your help!

"Coffee. Garden. Coffee. Does a good morning need anything else?"
~Betsy Cañas Garmon
https://www.ButcherShop-NoBone...
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Feb 4, 2016 8:13 PM CST
Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)
Cactus and Succulents Seed Starter Xeriscape Container Gardener Hummingbirder Native Plants and Wildflowers
Garden Photography Region: Mexico Plant Identifier Forum moderator Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Level 2
Very nice flowers, Julie. A learning experience for me too.

Still waiting on this year's humilis flowers to open (any day now)... they seem to spend an inordinate amount of time in bud.
Last edited by Baja_Costero Feb 4, 2016 8:13 PM Icon for preview
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