A new and distinct cultivar of Aloe plant named ‘SNOW DRIFT’ is disclosed, characterized by an upright growth habit, light greyed-green leaves, and red flowers. The new variety is an Aloe, typically produced as a garden or container plant.

Latin name of the genus and species:Aloehybrid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program. The seed parent is the unpatentedAloe‘Moon Dance’. The pollen parent is an unpatented, unnamed, proprietary seedling resulting from the crossing ofAloe rauhii, xAloe inermisxAloe‘White Lightning’. The crossing resulting in ‘SNOW DRIFT’ was made in December 2016 at a commercial greenhouse in Vista, Calif. ‘SNOW DRIFT’ was found and selected by the inventor in May 2017 at the same greenhouse in Vista, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘SNOW DRIFT’ was first performed by tissue culture at a commercial laboratory in Vista, Calif. in July 2017. ‘SNOW DRIFT’ has since produced several generations and has shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘SNOW DRIFT’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, day length, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SNOW DRIFT’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SNOW DRIFT’ as a new and distinctAloecultivar:1. Upright growth habit.2. Light Grey-Green leaves with a faint pink flush.3. Red flowers.4. Table top sizeAloe, maturing to8″ across.

PARENTAL COMPARISON

Plants of the new cultivar ‘SNOW DRIFT’ are similar to the seed parent in most horticultural characteristics. However, plants of the new variety differ from the seed parent in the following:1. The new variety has a more compact, upright rosette than the seed parent.2. The new variety has smoother leaf edges than the seed parent.

Plants of the new cultivar ‘SNOW DRIFT’ are similar to the pollen parent in most horticultural characteristics. However, plants of the new variety differ in the following:1. The parent variety has solid colored leaves, the new variety has speckled leaves.

COMMERCIAL COMPARISON

‘SNOW DRIFT’ can be compared to the unpatented commercial varietyAloe‘White Lightning’. The twoAloevarieties are similar in most horticultural characteristics; however, the new variety differs in the following:1. The new variety is a larger, more open plant than this comparator.2. The new variety has a smoother leaf margin than this comparator.3. The new variety produces light greyed-green leaves at all light levels4. The new variety has a cleaner, more symmetrical growth habit than this comparator.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘SNOW DRIFT’ plants in a commercial greenhouse in Vista, Calif. Temperatures ranged from 21° C. to 25° C. during the day, and 18° C. to 21° C. during the night. No artificial light, photoperiodic treatments or chemical treatments were given to the plants. Natural light conditions were approximately 2500 to 3000 fc of light. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plant types.Botanical classification:Aloehybrid ‘SNOW DRIFT’.Age of the plant described: 2 years.

PROPAGATION

PLANT

Growth habit: Upright rosette, offsetting to form clumps with time.Container size: 6 inches.Height: Approximately 16 cm to top of highest leaf. Approximately 38 cm to top of highest inflorescence.Plant spread: Approximately 20 cm.Growth rate: Moderate.Branching characteristics: Offsets from base.

FOLIAGE

FLOWER

REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

Seeds and fruits: Pods about 10 mm long and 5 mm wide, colored near Green 137D when immature, ripening to Grey-Brown N199D. Seed dust like, colored near Grey-Brown 199C.Temperature tolerance: Tolerates temperatures from approximately 0° to at least 35° C.Disease/pest resistance: Shows mite resistance and black spot resistance (pathogen unconfirmed).