Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Tilt Head Aloe
Tilt Head Aloe is a tall South African aloe whose big rosette of pale blue-green leaves leans to one side, toward the sun. The leaf tips and edges often blush pink. In winter it sends up thick, cone-shaped flower heads with red buds that open greenish white, and hummingbirds visit them. It grows about 8 to 12 feet tall on low water and makes a bold accent in a succulent bed or rock garden.
Best for: a tall accent with an unusual leaning shape, winter flowers for hummingbirds, and succulent beds, rock gardens and raised planters on low water.
The rosette of long, pale blue-green leaves tilts to one side, toward the sun. It is used as a bold accent in succulent beds and rock gardens.
In winter it raises thick, cone-shaped flower heads. The buds are red and open greenish white with orange stamens sticking out, so each head shows both colors at once.
It is used in raised planters, with rocks and in large containers. It needs only low water once rooted, in soil or potting mix that drains well.
It is rated to about 20 to 25°F, so hard freezes need a cover. Standing water and soggy soil can rot it. In the low desert it looks best with some light shade.
- Plant to plant6 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.
Once rooted, water about every 2 weeks in the warm months and let the soil dry. It grows mainly in the cool season. Standing water can kill it.
It is rated to about 20 to 25°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.
Light shade suits it best in the low desert. The rosette leans toward the sun as it grows.
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.
Why is it called Tilt Head Aloe?
Its rosette of leaves leans to one side, toward the sun. Plant it where you can enjoy that lean from the house.
How big does Tilt Head Aloe get?
It grows about 8 to 12 feet tall in gardens, and it can reach close to 20 feet in the wild. It spreads about 4 to 10 feet, on one stem or a few.
How fast does it grow?
It grows at a slow to moderate rate. Once rooted in, it needs little care beyond occasional water.
When does it bloom?
It blooms in winter, when it raises short, thick, cone-shaped flower heads. The red buds open greenish white with orange stamens.
Does it bring hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds visit the winter flowers, and bees come to them too.
Does it need full sun or shade?
It takes full sun or light shade. In the low desert, light shade and some cover from the hot afternoon sun in summer helps it look its best.
How often should I water it?
It is low water once rooted. Water about every 2 weeks in the warm months. It grows in the cool season, so in a dry winter give it about a weekly drink if the soil drains well.
How cold hardy is Tilt Head Aloe?
It is rated to about 20 to 25°F. On colder nights, drape frost cloth or a sheet all the way to the ground, not plastic, and take it off in the morning.
Are the leaves spiny?
The leaf edges carry small reddish teeth, so handle it with gloves. The long, pale blue-green leaves often turn pinkish at the tips and edges.
Does it die after it blooms?
No. Unlike most agaves, aloes flower about once a year and keep living. Just cut off the dead flower stalks.
Is Tilt Head Aloe toxic to pets?
Yes. Aloe is toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Chewing the leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy.
Tilt Head Aloe or Cape Aloe?
Tilt Head has pale blue-green leaves with small teeth, a leaning rosette, and red buds that open greenish white. Cape Aloe has spinier leaves on an upright single trunk and orange to red candelabra flowers.
Tilt Head Aloe for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Tilt Head Aloe gets its name from its big rosette, which leans to one side toward the sun. Its pale blue-green leaves blush pink at the tips, and its winter flower heads go from red bud to greenish-white bloom. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size and sun to water, cold 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.
Tilt Head Aloe, the leaning aloe from South Africa
Aloe speciosa comes from the Western and Eastern Cape of South Africa. Its big rosette of long, pale blue-green leaves leans toward the sun. The leaf tips and edges often turn pinkish.
How tall does Tilt Head Aloe get in Arizona?
Plan on about 8 to 12 feet tall and 4 to 10 feet wide in a yard. It grows slowly to moderately. It can grow on one stem or branch into a few.
When does Tilt Head Aloe bloom?
It blooms in winter, when thick, cone-shaped flower heads carry red buds that open greenish white. Hummingbirds and bees visit the flowers.
Does Tilt Head Aloe need shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun or light shade. In the low desert, light shade and some cover from the hot afternoon sun help it in summer. Most aloes in the Valley look better with some summer afternoon shade.
How often to water Tilt Head Aloe
It is low water once rooted. Water about every 2 weeks in the warm months. It grows in the cool season, so a weekly drink in a dry winter is fine in soil that drains well.
Is Tilt Head Aloe cold hardy?
It is rated to about 20 to 25°F. On colder nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet draped to the ground, not plastic. Take the cover off in the morning as it warms.
Tilt Head Aloe vs Cape Aloe
Both are tall South African aloes that bloom in winter. Tilt Head has a leaning rosette of pale blue-green leaves and red-to-white flower heads. Cape Aloe stands upright on one trunk with spinier leaves and orange to red flowers.
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.