Aloe
Aloe
Also comes in red and yellow.
Aloe blooms from May through July.
This entry comes from our curated library and has not yet been independently checked against outside sources. Curated is not unreliable: a standing audit keeps every entry internally consistent, and the source-by-source check is working through the whole library in the open.
Growing Aloe
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 9–11. Expect it to reach about 1.3 ft tall and 1.3 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years.
When to plant Aloe
Plant Aloe in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. For the middle of its hardy zones 9 to 11 range, spring means January to March and fall means October or November. Once settled, it blooms from May to July.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar: for the middle of its range, start with zone 9 in January.
Good to know about Aloe
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The saponins and anthraquinones (chiefly aloin) in the leaf act as harsh purgatives, causing vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy and sometimes red-tinged urine. per ASPCA and Pet Poison Helpline
Worth knowing
A cut leaf holds two tissues: the clear inner gel is about 99 percent water and low-risk, but the bitter yellow latex under the rind carries the toxic aloin. per Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine and NC State
When it blooms varies
Sources disagree: NC State lists spring and winter, Missouri Botanical Garden says summer. Flowering needs a mature plant and strong light, so container plants bloom erratically or not at all. per NC State and Missouri Botanical Garden
Overwatering is the top killer
Soggy, poorly drained soil left continuously wet rots the roots and crown: leaves go soft, mushy and translucent, the base collapses. Sharp drainage and drying out between waterings prevents it. per NC State and Wisconsin
Main pests: mealybugs and scale
Both are sap-suckers that hide in leaf axils and the crown, and both leave sticky honeydew that grows black sooty mold. Dab mealybugs with alcohol on a cotton swab. per NC State and UC IPM
Spreads by offsets (pups)
A mature plant sends up offsets, or pups, at its base. Separate and replant them to make new plants and to manage size, since aloe is never cut back. per NC State
Gel soothes burns and skin
The clear inner leaf gel has been used for centuries on minor burns, sunburn, cuts and skin irritation. That is the gel only, not the whole leaf or its latex. per NC State
What pairs well with Aloe
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Pampas Grass
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; stands well above at 8.2 ft, a canopy to plant beneath.
Sunflower
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into early fall; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage.
Goldenrod
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; they only overlap in zone 9.
Autumn Joy Sedum
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in late summer as this one finishes; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; they only overlap in zone 9.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; opens in early spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage; they only overlap in zones 9 to 10.
Cosmos
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both offer pollinator forage; taller at 3.3 ft, for the layer behind it.
Globe Thistle
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into late summer; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; both offer pollinator forage; they only overlap in zone 9.
Lantana
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both offer pollinator forage; echoes the orange.
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