Aloe cooperi is our best grassland aloe, yet it is sadly not seen often enough in a garden setting. It’s easy to grow, truly lovely in the garden, and smaller than most aloes, making it ideal for small gardens. Today it is more widely available and I encourage gardeners to snatch it up if you see it, as it offers aloe lovers gorgeous flowers outside of the typical winter-flowering season.
Coopers Aloe is widespread and is found growing at elevations from sea level in the coastal regions of the Eastern Cape and along the southern coastal regions of Kwazulu-Natal, and up to 2000 metres up north in the colder mountainous regions of Eswatini and the Mpumalanga Highveld to the Wolkberg Mountains in Limpopo Province. It also occurs in Swaziland.
Its natural habitat is in grasslands, from dry rocky areas to wet, marshy places, the plants are often found on hillsides in open grasslands, or wedged in the shallow pockets among rocks. It grows singly or in small groups from offshoots at ground level, and thrives in a variety of soil types.
Coopers Aloe may be stemless or short stemmed up to 15cm. It forms one, or a small clump of rosettes of erect, yellow-green, grass-like leaves that are 60 to 80cm long, arranged in a fan shape with tiny little ‘teeth’ all along the leaf edges, and with white spots beneath. It is very hardy and usually evergreen in warm climates, but in colder conditions it can die down to ground level in winter, shooting again in spring.
Flowering occurs from December near the coast and January or February inland. The inflorescence is simple and bold, and the flowers vary in colour from greenish-cream to apricot-orange and salmon pink, standing tall, to least 1m high, above the thin grass-like leaves.
All Aloe species follow the Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). CAM plants can fix carbon dioxide at night and photosynthesize with closed stomata during the day, thus minimizing water loss. This, together with their succulent leaves and stems, and the presence of a thick cuticle, makes them well adapted to dry conditions.
Although this species is relatively widespread, and is not on the threatened list in South Africa, its grassland habitats are impacted by human transformation across its range. For example, in many areas of KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo grasslands have been converted to commercial forestry plantations.
Agriculture has also led to widespread losses of habitat, and in southern KwaZulu-Natal, large areas of grassland have been converted to sugarcane plantations. Overgrazing in northern KwaZulu-Natal and Sekhukhuneland is also impacting on Aloe cooperi where the small plants growing in open grasslands are easily trampled by livestock.
On the Leolo Mountains in Limpopo this aloe is so severely impacted by overgrazing, that individual plants can only be found growing wedged among large boulders where they are safe from trampling. Aloe cooperi is also declining as a result of habitat degradation due to competition from alien invasive plants.
Although there has been extensive habitat loss across the range of this widespread species over the last three generations, its decline continues in many areas, but Aloe cooperi is still too widespread and common to meet any of the criteria thresholds for a threatened status. However, if we are not vigilant this species may become threatened in the near future.
Aloe cooperi Picture courtesy Haakdoorn NurseryUses:
IsiPutumane has significant cultural and economic value to the Zulu people, and the plant is harvested from the wild by locals for use as food and medicine. The young shoots and flowers are cooked and eaten as a vegetable, and a decoction of the flowers is taken to ease childbirth.
The Zulu people also believe that the smoke from burning leaves of Aloe cooperi in the cattle kraal will protect the cattle from the ill effects of eating improper food, and the plant juice has been fed to horses to rid them of ticks.
The distinctive constituents in Aloe leaves are phenolic compounds, including chromone, anthraquinone or anthrone derivatives. Some of the compounds are found in many species, whereas others occur in only a few.
In the Garden:
This versatile plant will add a touch of drama to your garden and offers year-round textural interest. It will attract many pollinators like bees, butterflies, and nectar feeding birds such as Sunbirds and White Eyes.
It is ideal for small gardens and for narrow spaces, and grows well in containers. Coopers’s Aloe adds interest to the water-wise garden, and if planted in large groups, is an eye-catching sight. It’s a beautiful choice for the grassland bed, combined with other grassland species, or within a mixed border; and as a marshland plant it really excels.
Coopers AloeCultivation/Propagation:
Aloe cooperi grows well in cultivation throughout the country, and in a garden situation it does best in regions with moderate rainfall. Surprisingly for Aloes the Coopers Aloe will also tolerate marshy soil.
In the warmer regions of the country the leaves remain evergreen but in cold climates they die back in winter, only to spring back to life once again in spring. For this reason, Cooper’s Aloe is considered to be very cold and frost tolerant.
It loves full sun, and thrives in any well-drained garden soils, favouring sandy soil that is enriched with compost. Coopers aloe doesn't require fertiliser for successful growth and development, and an annual mulching with compost should suffice.
It is considered water-wise and only requires moderate watering during long dry spells to keep it looking good in the garden.
Coopers aloe does not require pruning in the general sense, you need only remove spent flower stalks or dead leaves.
Established plants are available from garden centres, but you can propagate it from seed sown in summer. Sow in a seedling growth medium of sifted potting soil and river sand, and before sowing, treat the soil with fungicides to prevent damping-off which is a common problem when growing aloes from seed. Seedlings should be transplanted into small pots to grow on, using sandy well drained soil.
Problems, Pests & Diseases:
Nearly all problems with aloes occur as a result of overwatering and poor ventilation, especially if they are growing close together, and when weather conditions are dull and cool, or very humid. If the leaves take on a coppery sheen, this is usually a sign associated with stress.
Aloes are prone to a number of diseases and pests, the commonest of which are white scale and the aloe snout beetle. These can be treated with the appropriate insecticides. Use a systemic insecticide to stop sucking insects in their tracks, and a fungicide with a copper base can help to control diseases such as rust, which are a nuisance in humid climates. When spraying, ensure that the poison runs into the growth points between the leaves as well.
Attacks from the snout beetle can cause spotting of the leaves, and gall mites can cause aloe 'cancer'.
Members can click here to read a more in-depth article on aloe problems, pests & diseases
Warning:
The sap of Aloe species contains anthraquinones. These compounds have several beneficial medicinal actions, particularly as a laxative, and many species of Aloe are thus employed in traditional medicine. Whilst safe in small doses and for short periods of time, anthraquinones do have potential problems if used in excess. These include congestion and irritation of the pelvic organs. Long term use of anthraquinone laxatives may also play a role in development of colorectal cancer as they have genotoxic potential, and tumorigenic potential.