Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Medicinal Aloe - Yellow Flowering
Medicinal Aloe is the true aloe vera, the plant whose gel goes into salves and skin products. It grows into a clump of upright gray-green leaves about 1 to 3 feet tall, and it sends up yellow flower spikes in late winter and spring. It is one of the most common aloes in Valley yards because it handles heat and dry spells well. Plant it in a bed, along a border or in a pot.
Best for: a pot or bed of the true gel plant, yellow spring flowers for hummingbirds, and edging a low-water bed or border.
This is the aloe whose gel goes into healing salves and skin products. It grows as well in a pot as in the ground.
In late winter and spring it sends up branched stalks of yellow tube flowers, 2 to 3 feet tall. Hummingbirds and bees visit them.
It spreads into a dense clump about 2 to 4 feet wide from pups at the base. Plant clumps about 3 to 4 feet apart along a border or bed edge.
Soggy soil can rot the roots, so it needs soil that drains well. It is rated to about 20 to 26°F, so cover it on colder nights.
- Closer group3 ft apart
- Looser group4 ft apart
Give it a few days to a week without water after planting. After that, water it on a steady schedule until new growth shows it has rooted, and let the soil dry in between.
Water about every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and every 3 to 6 weeks in spring and fall, and in winter only if rain is short. Let the soil dry between drinks. A little extra in bloom and summer heat helps.
It is rated to about 20 to 26°F. On frosty nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet all the way to the ground, not plastic, and take it off in the morning.
It clumps densely from pups. Divide and thin crowded clumps every 3 to 5 years, and cut dead flower stalks.
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.
Is this the real aloe vera?
Yes. Medicinal Aloe is Aloe vera, also sold as Aloe barbadensis. It is the plant whose gel goes into healing salves and skin products.
How big does Medicinal Aloe get?
It grows about 1 to 3 feet tall. It spreads from pups into a dense clump about 2 to 4 feet wide.
How far apart should I plant it?
About 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center. See the Spacing tab for the numbers.
When does it bloom?
In late winter and spring, as the weather warms. Branched stalks of yellow tube flowers rise 2 to 3 feet.
Does it bring hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds visit the yellow tube flowers, and bees do too.
Does it need full sun or shade?
It takes full sun or part sun, but not full shade. It handles Valley heat better than most aloes.
How often should I water aloe vera in Arizona?
Once rooted, it needs very little water. Soak it about every 2 to 4 weeks in summer and every 3 to 6 weeks in spring and fall. In winter, water only if rain is short, and let the soil dry between drinks.
Why are my aloe vera leaves turning red, purple or brown?
The leaves turn reddish purple and soft when stressed by drought or cold. They can also turn light bronze in winter.
How cold hardy is Medicinal Aloe?
It is rated to about 20 to 26°F. On colder nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, not plastic, and take it off in the morning.
How do I remove and replant the pups?
Cut a pup off when it is a few inches tall, using a clean sharp knife. Let the cut dry about a week, then plant it. Divide crowded clumps every 3 to 5 years.
Is aloe vera toxic to dogs and cats?
Yes. Aloe is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Chewing the leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.
Yellow or orange flowering Medicinal Aloe?
The plants are grown and cared for the same way. The difference is flower color. The yellow form is the classic aloe vera.
Medicinal Aloe - Yellow Flowering for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Medicinal Aloe is aloe vera, also sold as Aloe barbadensis. This is the yellow-flowered form, the classic aloe vera. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size and spacing to sun, water, cold, pups and flowers.
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.
Medicinal Aloe, the true aloe vera
Medicinal Aloe is Aloe vera, also sold as Aloe barbadensis. It is the aloe grown for the gel used in salves and skin products. This page is the yellow-flowered form.
Growing aloe vera outdoors in Phoenix
It is one of the best aloes for Valley yards because it handles heat and dry spells well. It is widely grown in yards across the Valley. Give it soil that drains well.
How often to water aloe vera in Arizona
Water about once a week from fall through spring, and about every 2 weeks in summer. Let the soil dry between drinks. Soggy soil can rot the roots.
How far apart to plant aloe vera
Space plants about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center. Each clump spreads about 2 to 4 feet wide from pups. Divide crowded clumps every 3 to 5 years.
When does aloe vera bloom in Arizona?
It blooms in late winter and spring as the weather warms. The yellow flower stalks reach 2 to 3 feet and are often branched. Hummingbirds come to feed on them.
Is aloe vera cold hardy?
It is rated to about 20 to 26°F. The leaves can turn purple and soft after cold. Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet on colder nights.
Aloe vera in pots
It grows well in a pot with a large drainage hole and a cactus mix. Split off pups as the pot fills and replant them.
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.