Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Short Leaf Aloe
Short Leaf Aloe is a small, heavily clumping aloe with short, fat, gray-blue leaves edged in white teeth. It forms a low mat of rosettes about a foot tall, used as a small groundcover, an edging plant or a patio pot. Orange-red flower spikes rise above it in the cool season, and hummingbirds visit them. It does best in light shade in the Valley.
Best for: a small groundcover or edging in light shade, a patio container, and orange-red cool season flowers for hummingbirds.
It clumps into a mat about 1 to 1.5 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. Use it as a small-scale groundcover or to edge a path or bed.
It is a good patio pot plant. The short, stiff rosettes show off their texture where they can be seen up close.
It grows best in light shade or with morning sun in the Valley. A rock garden under a tree canopy gives it shade and drainage.
Hot western afternoon sun is hard on it, so give it light shade. It is rated to only about 25 to 30°F, so cover it on frosty nights.
- Plant to plant2 ft apart
After planting, wait a few days to a week before the first drink so broken roots can heal. Then water regularly until it roots in, letting the soil dry between drinks.
Water when the soil has dried, about every 2 weeks in the warm months. Water matters most in long dry spells without rain.
It is rated to only about 25 to 30°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. Move potted plants under cover on frosty nights.
Keep it in light shade or morning sun, away from western afternoon sun. Divide the clump every few years and cut spent stalks in spring.
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 Short Leaf Aloe get?
About 1 to 1.5 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. It clumps heavily, making new rosettes from its sides.
Does it need sun or shade in Phoenix?
It does best in light shade or morning sun. Keep it out of the hot western afternoon sun.
How often should I water it?
Water when the soil has dried, about every 2 weeks in the warm months. Do not let it go through long dry spells, but never leave it in soggy soil.
When does it bloom?
In the cool season, from fall into spring. Orange-red tube flowers sit on an unbranched spike above the rosettes.
Does it bring hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds visit the flowers when it blooms.
How cold hardy is Short Leaf Aloe?
It is hardy only to about 25 to 30°F. It handles light frost, but cover it with frost cloth or a sheet on colder nights. Plants in pots can be moved under cover.
Why are the leaves turning red?
Young leaves and leaves stressed by drought or lack of nutrients take on a reddish tinge. It is a stress sign, so check the water.
How do I divide it?
Divide the clump every few years to keep it vigorous. The pieces can be replanted around the yard or shared.
Is Short Leaf Aloe toxic to pets?
Yes. Aloe is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Chewing the leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.
Short Leaf Aloe or Blue Elf Aloe?
Short Leaf is a species with short, fat gray-blue leaves in low rosettes. Blue Elf is a garden cross with narrow, upright blue-green leaves that blooms late winter into spring.
Short Leaf Aloe for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Short Leaf Aloe is a small South African aloe that forms tight clumps of short gray-blue rosettes. Orange-red flowers come in the cool season. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size and shade to water, cold, flowers and dividing.
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Short Leaf Aloe, Aloe brevifolia
Short Leaf Aloe comes from the Western Cape of South Africa. Its name means short leaf. It has short, fat, gray-blue leaves edged with white teeth.
How big does Short Leaf Aloe get?
It grows about 1 to 1.5 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. It clumps heavily, adding rosettes from its sides. Divide it every few years.
Does Short Leaf Aloe need shade in Phoenix?
Yes, light shade or morning sun suits it best in the Valley. Keep it away from western afternoon sun. A spot under a tree canopy works.
Watering Short Leaf Aloe in Arizona
Water when the soil has dried, about every 2 weeks in the warm months. Water matters most during long dry spells without rain. It needs soil that drains well.
When does Short Leaf Aloe bloom?
It blooms in the cool season, from fall into spring. The orange-red flowers sit on an unbranched spike. Hummingbirds come to feed on them.
Is Short Leaf Aloe frost hardy?
It takes light frost and is rated to about 25 to 30°F. On colder nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet to the ground, not plastic.
Short Leaf Aloe as a groundcover
It is a small-scale groundcover and edging plant for rock gardens and borders. It also fits a patio pot. Plant it where its texture can be seen up close.
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.