Comments on: Any ideas about these little gems

By: JennyE

JennyE — Thu, 05 May 2011 17:37:58 +0000

Could this not be an ASTROLOBA ?

By: JOOP

JOOP — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:04:34 +0000

agree with T haworthia

By: T

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:47:08 +0000

Hi, guys
It is one of the hawarthia plants. Distantly related to aloes.
T

By: Hedmekanik

Hedmekanik — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:03:52 +0000

I’ve heard that cabbage trees (Cussonia) are planted at the entrance to homesteads as a protective measure. Whether that’s from the burglarisors or shapeshifting denizens of the otherworld, I dunno…

By: Ross

Ross — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:03:17 +0000

Thats what I was thinking? They could also still be quite small. I also saw an Aloe juvenna today which looks quite similar, but is covered in spines along the leaf edges.

By: Niall McNulty

Niall McNulty — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 10:12:49 +0000

steve – that is really interesting. do you know of other plants which have supernatural as opposed to medicinal uses?

ross – could the donkey tail not compact (kinda ‘bonsai’) itself if it was kept in a small pot?

By: Ross

Ross — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 09:54:03 +0000

It looks like Sedum morganianum, but I’m not sure? Donkey tail is not normally as compact as the plant in your photo.

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 10:06:19 +0000

I think it’s a type of aloe, like a smaller more sinuous version of Aloe aristata.

An Nyanga I know near Rorke’s Drift told me, rather enigmatically, that these spiky little plants are planted in pots around the homestead “to keep away animals that are neither wild nor domestic”.

Which leaves only the category of “supernatural” animals, or amanunu. Lucky you won’t ever find out what danger they pose, protected as you are by your little aloes.