Aloe bakeri

A rare aloe from Madagascar

Aloe bakeri comes from southeastern Madagascar, where it grew in dry habitat with seasonal rainfall. Today it is considered extinct in Madagascar, making cultivated plants especially important.

The species is listed in CITES Appendix I, so international trade in wild-collected plants is tightly controlled.

Indoor conditions for a healthy Aloe bakeri clump

• Light: Use a bright south- or west-facing position with direct sun. Strong light keeps the small rosettes dense and can bring out their natural red-brown tones.
• Water: Let the mix dry completely and the pot become noticeably lighter before watering. Water thoroughly, let the pot drain completely and keep the dense leaf bases dry.
• Temperature: Keep the plant at 10°C or warmer. As temperatures fall, leave the mix dry for longer before watering again.
• Air and humidity: Average household humidity is suitable. Good airflow helps closely packed rosettes dry quickly.
• Soil: Plant in a coarse cactus mix with extra grit or pumice so water drains quickly. The pot should drain freely at its base.
• Feeding: Give a weak balanced liquid fertiliser about once a month when the plant is growing. Cut back on feeding when growth slows.
• Repotting and division: Repot when the rosettes reach the rim or the roots have filled the pot. Established offsets can be separated when they have enough roots to support themselves.

Trouble inside a dense Aloe bakeri clump

• Rosettes loosen and leaves grow longer: The plant is receiving too little light. Move it gradually towards stronger direct light. New rosettes should grow more tightly.
• Several rosettes soften from the base: Moisture has stayed around the roots or between crowded leaves. Lift the affected rosettes from the pot. Use a disinfected blade to remove every soft or rotten part until only healthy, firm tissue remains. Discard everything removed and replant the rosettes in fresh, dry mix with plenty of grit.
• White waxy clusters or brown scales appear among the leaves: Mealybugs or scale are present. Isolate the pot and remove insects you can reach. Choose a mealybug or scale treatment to match the pest, then follow the label for any repeat treatment.

Aloe bakeri is toxic to people and pets

• Keep this plant away from children, cats and dogs, and handle the leaf tips carefully.
• The leaf latex contains anthraquinone glycosides that can irritate skin and the digestive tract. Rigid tips and toothed margins can also scratch or puncture.
• Swallowing the latex may cause an upset stomach, while skin contact can cause irritation. Contact a veterinarian or medical professional if symptoms develop.

The meaning and history of Aloe bakeri

Aloe comes through Greek aloe, an old name for the bitter plant juice, itself borrowed from a Semitic language. The species epithet bakeri commemorates the English botanist John Gilbert Baker.

Carl Linnaeus established the genus Aloe in 1753 in Species Plantarum, page 319.

George Francis Scott Elliot first described Aloe bakeri in 1891 in Journal of the Linnean Society, Botany, volume 29, page 60.