Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Aloe deltoideodonta
Aloe deltoideodonta is a small aloe from Madagascar that stays under about a foot tall. Its short, triangular leaves are pale green, often spotted with white, and edged with tiny teeth. From late summer into fall it sends up short stalks of salmon to orange flowers. It spreads by pups into a low clump that suits pots and small beds.
Best for: pots and small beds, rock gardens, and a low clump with some afternoon shade.
It stays under about a foot tall, so it fits pots, small beds and rock gardens. Use a gritty mix in a pot with a drainage hole.
Short stalks of salmon to orange flowers open from late summer into fall, and hummingbirds visit them.
It makes pups around its base and fills in as a low clump. Pull pups off to start new plants.
It is rated to about 30°F and wants to stay dry in winter. Cover it on colder nights and keep it out of soggy soil.
- Closer group1 ft apart
- Looser group2 ft apart
Hold off a few days to a week after planting, then water until new growth shows it has rooted. After that, water about every 2 weeks in the warm months and let the soil dry.
It takes full winter sun, but in summer it looks best with filtered or afternoon shade. Leaves that turn red or purple are a stress sign, so check sun and water.
It is rated to about 30°F. On colder nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, not plastic, or move a pot under cover. Keep it dry in winter.
Cut each flower stalk at the base once it dries. Divide crowded clumps in spring and replant the pups.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Aloe deltoideodonta get?
It stays under about a foot tall. Its leaves grow about 6 to 8 inches long, and it slowly spreads into a low clump.
When does it bloom?
From late summer into fall. The flowers are salmon to orange, often paler at the mouth.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 30°F. On colder nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, or move a pot under cover.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
It grows in sun to dappled shade. In the Valley, give it filtered or afternoon shade in summer.
Does it make pups?
Yes. It spreads by pups around the base. Cut a pup off with a clean knife, let the cut dry about a week, then plant it.
Does it attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds visit its tube-shaped flowers.
Does it die after it blooms?
No. Unlike most agaves, aloes keep living after they flower. Just cut the dry flower stalk off at the base.
How often should I water it?
Once rooted, water about every 2 weeks in the warm months and let the soil dry between drinks. Soggy soil can rot the roots.
Is it toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes. Aloe is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Chewing the leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy, so keep pets from chewing it.
Aloe deltoideodonta for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Aloe deltoideodonta is a small, clumping aloe from Madagascar with triangular, often spotted leaves. Below is what to expect on size, sun, water, cold, flowers, pups and pets in a Valley yard.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Aloe deltoideodonta care in Phoenix
Give it filtered or afternoon shade in summer and soil that drains fast. Water about every 2 weeks in the warm months.
How big does Aloe deltoideodonta get?
It stays under about a foot tall and spreads by pups into a low clump.
When does Aloe deltoideodonta bloom?
From late summer into fall, with salmon to orange flowers.
Is Aloe deltoideodonta frost hardy?
It is rated to about 30°F. Cover it on colder nights and keep it dry in winter.
Small aloes for pots
Its small size makes it a good pot plant. Use a gritty mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Is Aloe deltoideodonta toxic to pets?
Yes. Aloe is toxic to dogs, cats and horses if chewed.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.