Aloe Humilis (Spider Aloe)

This plant goes by Crocodile Jaws, Hedgehog Aloe, and Spider Aloe. It is a native of South Africa, especially the Western and Eastern Cape regions. These regions fall between the summer and winter rainfall areas, the ideal environment for succulents.

Family:	Asphodelaceae
Genus:	Aloe
Scientific Name:	Aloe Humilis
Other Names:	Spider Aloe, Crocodile Jaws, Hedgehog Aloe
Growth Season:	Spring and summer
Preferred Temperature:	The best temperature for its growth is 21-27oC (70-80oF), but it is cold-hardy to -7oC (20oF).
Hardiness Zone:	USDA Zone 10a – 12
Average Mature Height & Width:	It is made of clusters of rosettes. The clusters can cover a large area if uncontrolled. Each rosette rises to an average of 8 inches with five inches of width.
Toxicity:	This plant is not toxic to humans or animals.

Aloe Humilis Physical Characteristics

This plant may be described as being heavily suckering owing to the many rosettes it forms in each plant. Though it remains small throughout its life, it produces inordinately large flowers compared to its size. It is either stemless or has very short stems meaning its rosettes start right at the base of the plant.

Each rosette has an average of 20-30 leaves which are themselves small. A typical leaf is usually 7-12cm and about 1-1.5cm wide. The foliage has a pale hue of blue-green or grey-green. These leaves are soft, triangular, or ovate-shaped and curved inwards. They have soft spines on the margins, each about 3mm long.

The surface of these leaves is covered with a waxy substance which keeps them from being scorched by excessive sunlight. Its flowers are outstanding, being bright orange to scarlet, and they are tubular, each of them being 4-5 cm long. They grow on a 20-35 cm long inflorescence, and each plant has about 20 on the flowering stalk per season. 

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Aloe Humilis Plant Care 

Avoiding waterlogging is one of the primary considerations when watering this plant. It can survive severe drought, but the right amount of moisture makes the plant healthier and more attractive. Water more often during the growing season, but only use the soak-and-dry method, where you don’t give the plant a drink until the moisture from the previous drink dries up.

The substrate should have a high amount of gravel to allow water to drain quickly, allowing water to pass through easily, leaving only moisture. The pot you use to plant the succulent should have drainage holes to allow excess water out. It does well under direct sunlight, but it can withstand light shade.

Aloe Humilis isn’t drought hardy, so you should move it indoors in frosting winters as it can only withstand a few degrees of frost. It usually doesn’t require fertilizer to thrive, but you can give it a well–balanced succulent fertilizer rich in phosphorus and potassium.  

DO YOU KNOW? Caring (propagating, pruning/trimming, beheading, watering, …) is a set of skills that is applicable to almost every succulent. Read the in-depth succulent care guide right here >>

Richard from Succulent City

Aloe Humilis Plant Growth

Propagation of this plant is almost exclusively by division since it clusters prolifically. You should trim your Aloe humilis to control the spread of its clusters.

Also, repotting is a necessary husbandry practice because it lets you change pots when the plant outgrows the pot.

Mealybugs, scale insects, and fungus may attach it. Keep the plant healthy, isolate the affected ones, spray with systemic, and contact herbal pesticides as necessary.

Before you leave …

You can see all plants from the Aloe genus on Succulent City on this page. Or the previous/next plant:

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