Growing Aloes: Tips at a Glance
- Type Succulent
- Life Span Perennial
- USDA Zones 10-11
- Light Sun or some shade
- Water Hates wet feet
- Where to Plant In a pot
- Design Tip A. vera preferred
- Companions Lavender, sedum
- Other Uses Medicinal gel
Aloe: A Field Guide
Unless you live in a very warm climate (think USDA growing zone 10 or higher), your aloe plant will live in a pot indoors.
The most common species is Aloe vera, a useful houseplant indeed. A. vera is a living first aid kit; inside its leaves is a gel that you can use to treat everything from dry skin to a burn.
In a warm climate where you can plant Aloe outdoors, you have a choice of more than 500 species, from tiny creepers to robust trees. The leaves range from vibrant greens to gray and can have solid, mottled, or variegated coloring. A dramatically tall specimen, A. arborescens (‘Torch Aloe’) shoots to nine feet with flaming blooms in late fall and early winter.
