Playing the gardening version of chicken, I'd left these Aloe maculata (syn Aloe saponaria) planted out all winter, they were doing great thanks to our mild conditions. Late last week—when things took a turn—I pulled them, tossed them in a nursery flat and stuck them in the basement, figuring they'd be fine until I felt like dealing with them.
That time came over the weekend. I went to shake off the excess soil and then pot them up, that's when I screamed, just a little bit. What the hell is that!?
I know this aloe, I've grown it for years. This is what the roots look like...
So what exactly is that!? Thank god it wasn't moving.
Then I noticed that small little leaf on the right. Interesting. Inspired by the purple oxalis I saw in Austin during the
Garden Bloggers Fling I had planted a couple, they never amounted to much and I kind of forgot about them. Could that be what the hideous, segmented, worm-root belonged to? Did it hitch a ride with the aloe?
You, yes you...
Huh, what do you know. Looks related.
So now I'm wondering if I plant these little segments in the spring, will they take off and sprout purple oxalis leaves? Anybody?
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Yes, that is a purple shamrock/oxalis. Gophers in my San Mateo, CA home pushed them all round my garden. They like shade/part-shade and semi regular moisture but not soaking wet. I think you will start to see them in a month as indoor plants, maybe later for outdoor. They don't like superhot temps. They are a pretty surprise whenever they appear.
ReplyDeleteGophers propagate plants huh? I guess that makes sense. Sorry you have to deal with those beasts.
Deletein Seattle i have a bunch of oxalis and it does well, i have to water it when i see it wilting in late summer though. very slow spreading
ReplyDeleteSummer water, that's probably why what I planted wasn't particularly happy here.
DeleteYes, plant them! I've had both the purple cultivar and a green one ('Fanny', I believe) in ground (unprotected) here in Tacoma for several years. They thrive in veggie garden conditions, approaching the status of a mild (but attractive) weed.
ReplyDeleteGood to know, thanks!
DeleteI received some of those Oxalis bulbs as a gift with purchase years ago and stuck them in a pot with a Mangave 'Moonglow' and they now come up and bloom on a regular basis. Mine are in a partial shade setting.
ReplyDeleteSurprise gift with purchase?
DeleteHa, a happy surprise!
ReplyDeleteAfter I got over my terror that I'd brought in some horrible segmented creature!
DeleteIts funny what sticks in one's mind, often not the important stuff but rather the unexpected. I remember loving that purple oxalis photo you posted so much and, as luck would have it, one such oxalis caught a ride in a pot of a nursery purchase (black mondo grass): it has been showing up every year since without encouragement from me, sheltered by the grass: I'm delighted.
ReplyDeleteYes, plant it up, it deserves a chance.
Oh mixed with black mondo would be a great combo! Thanks for the idea.
DeleteYikes - very creepy looking for sure.
ReplyDeleteRight?
DeleteYay for nice surprises! We all need some of that. In my experience, it's tougher than it seems (meaning that it has withstood my abuses before, and lived to tell about it). Definitely plant it out in spring!
ReplyDeleteGood to know Anna, thank you!
DeleteWe call those "pips"!
ReplyDelete