Accent
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera · Asphodelaceae (formerly Liliaceae/Aloeaceae)
Also called: Medicinal Aloe, True Aloe, Burn Plant, Aloe barbadensis (synonym)
Aloe Vera (Aloe vera) is a low-water accent well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, with a moderate growth rate. Expect yellow (occasionally orange) blooms late winter to spring.
Aloe Vera at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun to partial shade. In Tucson, light afternoon shade or filtered sun prevents summer sunburn; too-deep shade makes it leggy and pale.
- Mature size
- 1-2 ft H x 2-3 ft W (clumping); flower stalk to 2-3 ft
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Yellow (occasionally orange), Late winter to spring (roughly February-May), on a tall branched stalk
- Cold hardiness
- Tender; damaged below about 32°F and killed near 25°F. USDA zones 9-11. In Tucson, needs frost protection or a warm microclimate during hard freezes.
- Soil
- Fast-draining sandy or gritty/cactus-mix soil. Will rot in heavy clay or poorly drained sites; raised beds or containers work well.
- Native range
- Native to the Arabian Peninsula / northern Africa; now naturalized and cultivated worldwide. Not native to the Sonoran Desert.
- Best used as
- Accent/specimen, Container plantings, Succulent and rock gardens, Patio and entryway pots, Medicinal/culinary herb gardens, Massed groundcover-style clumps in protected beds
- Wildlife
- Yellow tubular flowers attract hummingbirds and bees. Generally deer-resistant.
- Toxicity
- The clear inner gel is the well-known soothing/topical product, but the leaf latex (yellow sap) contains anthraquinones and is toxic if ingested. Listed as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses by the ASPCA (causes vomiting/diarrhea); keep pets from eating leaves.
How to grow Aloe Vera in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought tolerant. Water established plants about every 1-2 weeks in the hottest months, allowing soil to dry between waterings; reduce sharply in winter to roughly monthly. Overwatering is the most common cause of failure.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Minimal. An optional dilute, low-nitrogen or balanced fertilizer once in spring is plenty; succulents do not want heavy feeding.
Pruning & care
Remove dried or frost-damaged outer leaves and spent flower stalks. Divide and remove offsets ('pups') to control spread and propagate.
Notes
Forms rosettes of thick, fleshy, gray-green leaves with soft marginal teeth, spreading by offsets into clumps. The most widely grown medicinal aloe. Best treated as a frost-sensitive accent in Tucson — site in a warm microclimate (south wall, under eaves) or grow in pots that can be moved during freezes.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; AMWUA / low-desert succulent guides; ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List