Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Aloe Doran Black
Aloe Doran Black is a small aloe with thick, bumpy leaves that are mostly white with green, edged with irregular teeth. Rosettes stay under about a foot tall and 8 to 11 inches across. It makes pups freely and fills a pot with a tight cluster. Red-orange tube flowers appear on short stalks, often more than once a year.
Best for: pots on a shaded patio, small beds with afternoon shade, and a collection of small aloes.
Rosettes stay under about a foot tall and cluster freely, so it fills a pot without outgrowing it. Use a gritty mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Its thick leaves are covered in raised bumps and are mostly white with green. Stress from bright light or drought can tint them pink to copper.
It grows in part sun to part shade, so it suits a covered patio or a bed with afternoon shade.
It is tender below about 30°F, so cover it or move the pot under cover on frost nights. It needs a bit less water than most succulents, and soggy soil rots it.
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 tender below about 30°F. Move pots under cover on frost nights, or drape frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, not plastic.
Cut each flower stalk at the base once it dries. Divide crowded clusters 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 Doran Black get?
Rosettes stay about 6 to 12 inches tall and 8 to 11 inches across. It makes many pups, so a pot fills in as a cluster.
How cold hardy is it?
It is not frost hardy and is rated to about 30°F. Move pots under cover or drape frost cloth to the ground on frost nights.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
Yes, some. It grows in part sun to part shade, so give it shade from the hot afternoon sun.
How often should I water it?
Water only after the soil dries completely. It needs a bit less water than most succulents, and soggy soil can rot it.
Why are the leaves turning pink?
Bright light or drought can tint the leaves pink to copper. That is a stress sign, so check sun and water.
When does it bloom?
Red-orange tube flowers can appear several times a year on short stalks. Cut each stalk at the base once it dries.
How do I divide the pups?
Cut a pup off with a clean, sharp knife, let the cut dry about a week, then plant it in gritty mix.
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.
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 Doran Black for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Aloe Doran Black is a small, clustering aloe with white, heavily textured leaves. Below is what to expect on size, sun, water, cold, pups, flowers 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 Doran Black care in Phoenix
Give it shade from the hot afternoon sun and a gritty, fast-draining mix. Water only after the soil dries.
How big does Aloe Doran Black get?
Rosettes stay about 6 to 12 inches tall and 8 to 11 inches across, and it clusters freely.
Is Aloe Doran Black frost hardy?
No. It is rated to about 30°F, so move pots under cover on frost nights.
Small aloes for patio pots
Its small, clustering rosettes suit pots. Use a gritty mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
Propagating Aloe Doran Black
It makes many pups around its base. Cut one off, let the cut dry about a week, then plant it.
Is Aloe Doran Black 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.