Garden Aloes

Aloe aculeata

It is frost sensitive, but drought-tolerant and is suitable for xeriscaping. The attractive, thorny foliage and colorful flower display makes Aloe aculeata an interesting specimen plant for a dry garden. read more

Aloe thraskii

Ideal for planting on slopes, sandy or stony soil. As its name suggests, Coast Aloe is well suited to growing in coastal regions. Flowers attract many bees and birds. Outdoors it grows to astonishing proportions also in areas with wet winters, so don't be afraid to plant this in a high-rainfall area. It can be also cultivated outdoors in raised beds and terraces and is one of the aloes that can form a centre piece in a garden or grouped, creating a magnificent backdrop, if you have the space, to provide form and texture. This wonderful architectural plant will add accent and interest to your garden and will attract nectar and insect eating birds. Plant it as a single specimen or in large groups, for great effect. The dune aloe also grows beautifully in large containers. read more

Aloe africana

A single-headed species which develops a trunk and can be used as a focal point like a small tree aloe and underplanted with other succulents. Keep it back from the path as the teeth are sharp and catch clothing and cut the skin but in flower it is sensational and also very attractive to bees and hummingbirds. Aloe africana thrives in coastal gardens but also as a pot or container plant. The plants prefer full sun and windy conditions. They are tolerant towards other plant species and often share their habitat with smaller succulent plants. Plants will benefit from compost or any organic feeding. read more

Aloe alooides

Aloe alooides makes a spectacular focal point in a garden due to the long trailing, eye-catching leaves and stunning, tall flower stalks that are bee magnets. The Graskop Aloe can also be planted in masses to create a striking colony of plants. read more

Aloe andongensis

This plant would work has a feature in any garden as a result of its tropical appearance. read more

Aloe angelica

This wonderful architectural plant will add accent and interest to your garden. Plant it as a single specimen or in large groups, for great effect. read more

Aloe broomii

Aloe broomii is an ideal water-wise plant, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, and it is frost resistant. It makes an excellent focal point and structural plant in landscaped gardens, and is a good choice for a rock garden. read more

Aloe cameronii

This aloe makes a nice specimen planting and provides a striking foliage color contrast in the succulent garden. Aloe cameronii is great for beds and borders, rock gardens, succulent gardens or Mediterranean gardens. This plant makes a handsome container plant when young. Leaves are brittle and can easily be broken so plan plant's location accordingly. Good for attracting nectar loving birds and insects when in bloom. This Aloe provides a colorful focal point in the xeriscape. Deer resistant. read more

Aloe capitata var. quartziticola

According to Curator Brian Kemble, 'Madagascar has many beautiful Aloe species, but to my eye this is one of the very best.' read more

Aloe claviflora

Perfect for the dry tropical or warm temperate garden in USDA Zones 9 and above. Artificially, a smallish rock garden that provides some shelter for A. claviflora, provides the best growing conditions but only in low rainfall areas. It can easily be transplanted and grows well in containers. It is a smaller plant but unique enough to still be a specimen in a smaller garden. read more

Aloe 'David Verity'

It is a great specimen aloe used singly or massed with other aloes and succulents - with its stature it can make an impressive screening or barrier plant. Makes a good hedge plant, particularly if you want to keep someone out. read more

Aloe dichotoma

In mild climates it can be cultivated outdoors for use in landscaping, preferably planting it in hot and dry rock gardens. It can be grown in large containers too. The rocks anchor the plants which have a spread-root-system. read more

Aloe 'Erik the Red'

Created as a striking feature plant, Aloe 'Erik the Red' is perfect for small gardens because of its narrow form. With tall, blood red inflorescences towering over nearby plants of similar size, this tall stemmed beauty is indeed a focal point in any aloe planting. A beautiful statement plant that will add a tropical desert feel to any garden or landscape. Aloe 'Erik the Red' is well suited for uses such as mass plantings, rockeries, large containers or as feature plants. read more

Aloe excelsa

Aloe excelsa makes an attractive addition as a specimen plant to warmer gardens that only occasionally receive a light frost. This Aloe from Mozambique has attracted the attention of gardeners and parks planners for its imposing appearance although is still rare in gardens. read more

Aloe ferox

Cape aloe is great for beds and borders, rock gardens, succulent gardens, Mediterranean gardens or in decorative containers. This plant makes a beautiful and dramatic specimen for the garden and is great for attracting nectar-feeding pollinators. Deer resistant. The bitter aloe is most famous for its medicinal qualities. In parts of South Africa, the bitter yellow juice found just below the skin has been harvested as a renewable resource for two hundred years. The hard, black, resinous product is known as Cape aloes or aloe lump and is used mainly for its laxative properties but is also taken for arthritis. 'Schwedenbitters' which is found in many pharmacies contains bitter aloe. The gel-like flesh from the inside of the leaves is used in cosmetic products and is reported to have wound-healing properties. It also is used in scalp to promote hair growth and prevent dandruff. In South Africa, the gel is used to make a jam and as an ingredient in food and drinks. Dry leaves are used in making herbal tea and the flowers are sucked for their sweet nectar. The leaf ash is used as an insect repellent. read more

Aloe 'Goliath'

Makes an excellent landscape plant for the cactus & succulent garden. read more

Aloe helenae

A very attractive and unusual species that is is known to be easy to cultivate in gardens in mild areas. read more

Aloe 'Hercules'

Aloe 'Hercules' makes a strong, sculptural, specimen plant for a large container or an impressive, drought-tolerant landscape plant in warmer climates. The Aloe's beautiful looks and features are easy to admire wherever you choose to plant it and having a few of these evergreen beauties in your garden just makes you feel good. With minimal water and full sun, the drought-tolerant Aloe Hercules plant can grow up to 30-feet and bring the WOW factor to any landscape design. A great choice for xeriscape gardens where its sculptural features gives it focal point 'hero' status! This easy to grow tree is perfectly suited for the Southwestern climate of the U.S. read more

Aloe hereroensis

The Sand Aloe makes a dramatic specimen plant in rock gardens, succulent gardens, Mediterranean gardens or decorative containers. Excellent landscape aloe as has a ghostly appearance in full sun. read more

Aloe khamiesensis

Aloe khamiesensis makes a very attractive garden specimen if successfully cultivated, however collecting this aloe is wasteful and causes unnecessary damage, because they do not thrive away from their natural habitat. read more

Aloe marlothii

The plant is impenetrable, and often planted to form living fences. As a potted plant, very showy, long-lived and full of blunt spines. read more

Aloe petricola

Aloe petricola is very popular for gardening because of its beautiful and radiant colors. Aside from its simple upkeep, this aloe grows quite well in cultivation and looks outstanding either on its own or bunched in groups. The plant's striking and luminous red, yellow, green, and white colors stand out, while they add beauty and elegance to any garden. The rock aloe, true to its name, is perfect for rocky areas in the garden, producing beautiful bicolored flowers that will attract nectar-feeding birds to your garden. They are also well suited to sloping banks and even in containers. Planting them in groups make for a spectacular sight when they are in full bloom. These plants are full sun aloes and are excellently adapted to very hot climates. Aloe petricola, is used as a remedy to heal stomach ailments. The sap-filled leaves are used for this, as well as for treating wounds and minor burns. read more

Aloe pillansii

Large potted giant quiver trees are very rewarding as they make beautiful specimens when positioned to enhance entrances, walls, courtyards, patios etc. It grows well in containers, but pressure from the root ball will easily break the container. read more

Aloe plicatilis

Kumara plicatilis makes a wonderful feature in any garden and is an excellent accent plant. As such it is increasingly used as an ornamental plant for drought tolerant landscaping and rockeries. However it grows very slowly and consequently, outside of its natural habitat, it is often in danger of being overgrown, smothered and killed by faster growing plants in its vicinity. It also makes an attractive pot plant. In regions of the world which are frost free, or nearly so, this species is sometimes grown as a garden ornamental. This species attracts birds and provides pleasing winter time color. read more

Aloe pluridens

Aloe pluridens makes a spectacular garden subject. It is well suited to coastal gardens, great along sea bluffs, and is suitable for containers. This is a very attractive and unusual shrubby aloe for the garden or for large containers and cut flower stems can last for up to three weeks in a vase. One of the better tree aloes for shady areas, and tolerates a good deal of moisture even in summers. They are oddly charming with their prehistoric looks and affinity with other, non-succulent plants. They are one of the easier aloes to fit into a general garden. Aloe pluridens has a high landscape value both as a feature plant where it can be planted as a single plant or as an extensive mass plantings to create a focal point or to define a boundary. Massed plantings provided a brilliant splash of color during the dry winter months. Aloe pluridens is a good source of nectar for birds and bees during the dry winter months. read more

Aloe pseudorubroviolacea

Considered one of the more stunning landscape aloes. read more

Aloe ramosissima

Perfect for the dry tropical or warm temperate garden in USDA Zones 9 and above. In mild climates, Aloe ramosissima is useful as a specimen plant in a rock desert gardens. It is also suitable a large container grown houseplant in a bright location. Put in a pot and correctly pruned, this plant become really interesting as an ornamental plant for indoors spaces. Once established this plant is drought tolerant. read more

Aloe barberae

It is a great tree for the succulent garden and is fairly clean so good near a pool and can be kept many years in a large container. It does get a thick buttressed base with age so make sure to given it enough space to grow. It has a shallow-spreading, non-aggressive root system but enough space should be provided for its eventual size, especially its massive stem base, and therefore should not be planted close to any buildings. The tree aloe is often used as an ornamental plant. It makes an excellent focal point in the garden and is great to plant in bold clumps in both garden and office parks. The 'Tree Aloe' may be the perfect centerpiece for a rock garden, raised planter or on a garden slope. This fast growing tree aloe is used for its architectural shape and thrives in cultivation. read more

Aloe rubroviolacea

Excellent specimen plant for both standard gardens and very steeply sloping ones (good one to plant so stems head downhill). read more

Aloe rupestris

Aloe rupestris has beautiful flowers and makes a welcome addition to any garden. In mild climates it can be cultivated outdoors for use in landscaping, preferably planting it in hot and dry gardens. Fairly fast and easily grown in warm temperate and tropical climates in USDA Zones 9 to 11. The Bottlebrush Aloe is well suited to rock gardens, and at the edges of forest, grassland and bushveld, and will take a little bright shade during a hot summer. It can be grown in large containers. It’s a great way to add evergreen, vertical fascination & dramatic mid-Winter color to your garden. Aloe rupestris is popular with birds, bees & butterflies who find it's flowers impossible to resist. read more

Aloe sabaea

With it's drooping form tree-like form, Aloe sabaea will make and unusual and striking specimen plant for gardens in the mild climates. Suitable for USDA Zones 9-10, Aloe sabaea attracts birds and butterflies and is resistant to deer. read more

Aloe speciosa

Aloe speciosa is an attractive aloe with great horticultural potential and is often grown in gardens. Being drought-resistant it is an ideal plant for the water-wise garden. A great specimen plant for the garden that is quite attractive to hummingbirds. read more

Aloe striata subsp. karasbergensis

Karasburg Coral Aloe is from a very dry winter rainfall area in northwestern South Africa and Namibia, and very suitable for dry Mediterranean-type climates. Great for pot culture or in the dry garden. read more

Aloe suzannae

In mild climates it can be cultivated outdoors for use in landscaping, preferably planting it in hot and dry rock gardens. read more

Aloe tomentosa

Aloe tomentosa is easy to grow and makes a good landscape plant for gardens with full sun and reflected heat. Makes a beautiful container specimen with the added bonus of bringing the fluffy flowers closer to eye-level. Also use it in rock gardens and among large boulders as an interest plant. Sap from the leaves has been used for skin problems and to treat wounds, fevers, headaches, and inflammation of the eyes. read more

Aloe tongaensis

The plants are also popular in California, where it is grown as a feature plant. It also grows well in Mediterranean-type gardens in other parts of the world. read more

Aloe vaombe

When grown in the ground, Aloe Vaombe is a great centerpiece specimen for the near frost free garden with red foliage and flowers making a stunning combination in winter. The flowers attract bees and birds to the garden. Deer resistant and extremely drought tolerant once established. Aloe Vaombe Madagascar Tree Aloe does well in pots, rockeries and a wide range of gardens, and like all succulents is very drought tolerant, making it a favorite for pots around pools or on balconies where established plants are expected to survive with very little water or attention. The exotic rosettes make this variety a great addition to any garden as the bold texture provides great contrast, and can be used quite effectively in adding some flare to any garden. As Aloe vaombe (Madagascar Tree Aloe) is very hardy and essentially maintenance free, it is often used in mass plantings in public spaces as it is a reliable performer. read more

Aloe wickensii

With it's sculptural form and large number of branched inflorescences, Aloe wickensii makes a great specimen in a large pot. Plants can be used as living pillars along driveways or fences or less formally as scattered feature plants in the garden landscape. Aloe wickensii is excellent in succulent and cactus gardens or mixed with other plants in xeriscape gardens. The plant’s flowers attract wildlife – hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. read more

Aloes organized by use in the garden