Hi hi! I can't seem to ID this plant, and so don't know what it needs to thrive. It was gifted to me 3 years ago, and was just the larger part + had a much more compact shape at the time. It lived happily in bright sunlight for 1 year (and sprouted a teeeeeny tiny new guy, seen in the pic), northern exposure for 6 mos, and then I gave it to a neighbor with southern exposure for abt 6 mos. When I got it back, it was the shape you see in the pics and dramatically wilted (like, brink of death) - some leaves retain this wilted shape today, but old girl is still kickin! Since its return, I've kept it under a "full spectrum" led plant light (8 hrs/day), and within the last few months, it's started to grow new leaves from the stalk, and I'm worried it's doing that "last gasp, grow for your life" thing that plants do before they die. I think I'd like to propagate it/start over because it's so damaged, but I'm also open to saving the orig, if that's possible. Anyone know how to do either? Hope so!
Mystery succulent doing it's best - save or propogate?
- Thread starter jengiiii
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- Nov 13, 2019
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- Location
- Riverside/Pomona CA
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It is an Aloe. I'm not sure of the species or hybrid, but it's not Aloe vera. Your best bet is to cut it where the stem starts to stretch. You can use the removed piece to grow new plants. You can cut that piece where the new side shoot is is coming out and have 2 new plants. Leave the older side shoot for now. It needs WAAAYYY more light than it's getting right now. Put it as close to a very bright/full sun window and give it as bright a full-spectrum light as you can. You might get a little bleaching from direct sun, but it will grow out of it.