Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Aloe munchii
Aloe munchii is a small tree aloe from the Chimanimani Mountains of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It grows on a single upright trunk to about 8 to 15 feet, topped with a rosette of long blue-green leaves that can turn yellow-orange in winter. From fall into early winter it sends up branched stalks of deep orange flowers in tight round clusters, which draw hummingbirds. It works as a small, sculptural focal point in a desert bed.
Best for: a focal point in a desert bed or a large courtyard planting where a small, upright tree aloe and winter flowers for hummingbirds fit.
It grows on a single upright trunk to about 8 to 15 feet, sometimes with a few branches at the base. It makes a sculptural focal point in a desert bed.
From fall into early winter, branched stalks rise 1 to 2 feet above the leaves with tight clusters of deep orange flowers.
Aloe flowers draw hummingbirds, and this one blooms when few other plants do. Plant it where you can watch the flowers from a window or patio.
It can be damaged below about 25°F, so cover young plants on frost nights. Soggy soil can rot the roots. Aloes look best with some afternoon shade in a Valley summer.
Skip water for a few days to a week after planting so the roots can heal. Then water to get it rooted, never leaving the soil soggy.
Once it is rooted, water deeply about every 2 weeks in the warm months. Let the soil dry between drinks, and water less in winter.
It can be damaged below about 25°F. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, not plastic, and take it off in the morning. A tree canopy overhead adds a few degrees of protection.
Leave the flower stalks up until the blooms fade in winter. Then cut the dead stalks off at the base, which is the main pruning it needs.
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 munchii get?
It grows on a single trunk to about 8 to 15 feet tall and a few feet wide. Plant it where it has room to grow up.
When does Aloe munchii bloom?
It blooms from fall into early winter. Branched stalks rise 1 to 2 feet above the leaves with deep orange flowers in tight clusters, so leave them up until they fade.
Does it attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Its tubular orange flowers draw hummingbirds in the cool season. Plant it where you can see it from the house.
Why are the leaves turning yellow-orange?
The blue-green leaves can turn yellow-orange in winter, which is normal for this aloe. Aloe leaves also redden under heat or drought stress, so check that it is getting water in summer.
Does it need shade in Phoenix?
It grows well in full sun. In the Valley, most aloes look best with some afternoon or filtered shade in summer, so a spot with afternoon shade helps.
How often should I water it?
Once it is rooted, water deeply about every 2 weeks in the warm months and let the soil dry between drinks. Water less in winter, and never leave the soil soggy.
How cold can it take?
It is rated to about 25°F. On frost nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet all the way to the ground, not plastic, and take it off in the morning.
Is Aloe munchii poisonous to pets?
Aloe is toxic to dogs, cats and horses and can cause vomiting and diarrhea if eaten. Keep pets from chewing on it.
Does it die after blooming like an agave?
No. Aloes bloom about once a year and keep growing, so just cut off the dead flower stalks after bloom.
Aloe munchii for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Aloe munchii, the large Chimanimani aloe, is a small tree aloe from the mountains of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard: size, sun, water, cold, flowers and care.
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.
What is Aloe munchii?
It is the large Chimanimani aloe, a small tree aloe from the mountains of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. It grows on a single upright trunk.
How big does Aloe munchii get?
It grows to about 8 to 15 feet tall on a single trunk, sometimes with a few branches at the base.
Aloe munchii flowers
Deep orange flowers open in tight clusters on branched stalks from fall into early winter, and they draw hummingbirds.
Growing Aloe munchii in Phoenix
Plant it in gritty, fast-draining soil in full sun, with some afternoon shade in summer if you can. Water about every 2 weeks in the warm months once it is rooted.
Is Aloe munchii cold hardy?
It is rated to about 25°F. Cover it with frost cloth on frost nights, and plant it under a light tree canopy for extra protection.
Aloe munchii vs other tree aloes
It stays smaller than big tree aloes like Hercules, at about 8 to 15 feet. It blooms deep orange from fall into early winter.
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.