Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Variegated Gold Tooth Aloe
Variegated Gold Tooth Aloe is the striped form of gold tooth aloe. Its green leaves carry stripes from pale green to golden yellow, edged with flexible teeth. It pups heavily into a cluster up to about 18 inches across, and orange-red flower spikes rise above it in the warm months. The striping adds color to pots, planters and small beds.
Best for: yellow leaf color in a pot or planter, a small bed that fills in with striped pups, and orange-red flowers for hummingbirds.
The leaves carry stripes from pale green to golden yellow, and the amount varies from leaf to leaf. The teeth on the edges are yellow or white.
It pups heavily and forms a cluster up to about 18 inches across and tall. That size suits pots, planters and the front of a bed.
Branched spikes of orange-red flowers rise about 2 feet above the leaves. Hummingbirds visit aloe flowers like these.
Overwatering can rot it, so let the soil dry between drinks. The striping is unstable, and some rosettes come up all green, all yellow or nearly white.
- Plant to plant18 in apart
After planting, wait a few days to a week before the first drink so any broken roots can heal. Then water it regularly until it roots in, letting the soil dry between drinks.
Water lightly and let the soil dry between drinks. A little extra water helps in the hot, dry summer, but never let the soil stay wet.
It is rated to about 20°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. A tree canopy overhead also helps.
Some rosettes come up all green, all yellow or nearly white. Split off pups as the clump crowds a pot, and cut dead flower stalks after bloom.
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 is it different from regular Gold Tooth Aloe?
It is the striped form of the same plant, with pale green to golden yellow stripes on the leaves. Size and care are the same, so grow it just like the green form.
Why did a rosette come up all green or all yellow?
The yellow striping is not stable, so some rosettes come up all green, all yellow or nearly white. Split off the plain rosettes if you want to keep the striped look.
How big does it get?
It grows about 18 inches tall and pups heavily into a cluster up to about 18 inches across. Split pups off as it crowds a pot.
When does it bloom?
Orange-red flower spikes about 2 feet tall open in the warm months, from late spring into summer. Cut each spike off once it fades.
Does it need sun or shade?
It takes full sun to light shade. In the Valley, give it some afternoon shade in summer, since most aloes look better with it.
How often should I water it?
Give it only light watering. It is drought tolerant, but a little extra water in the hot, dry summer helps. Let the soil dry between drinks.
How cold hardy is it?
It is rated to about 20°F. Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet on colder nights.
Does it bring hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds visit aloe tube flowers, so leave the spikes up until the flowers finish.
Is it toxic to pets?
Yes. Aloe is toxic to dogs, cats and horses, and chewing the leaves can cause vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. Plant it where pets cannot chew on it.
Variegated Gold Tooth Aloe for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Variegated Gold Tooth Aloe is the yellow-striped form of Aloe x nobilis. It clumps like the green form and flowers orange-red. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard or pot, from the striping and size to sun, water and cold.
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.
Variegated Gold Tooth Aloe, the striped form
This is the variegated form of Aloe x nobilis, the gold tooth aloe. Its leaves are striped pale green to golden yellow. The teeth on the edges are yellow or white.
How big does Variegated Gold Tooth Aloe get?
It grows about 18 inches tall. It pups heavily into a cluster up to about 18 inches across.
Keeping the stripes
The variegation is unstable, so some rosettes come up plain green, yellow or nearly white. The amount of yellow varies from leaf to leaf.
Watering Variegated Gold Tooth Aloe in Arizona
Water lightly and let the soil dry between drinks. A little extra water helps in the hot, dry summer. Sandy soil that drains well keeps it from rotting.
Is Variegated Gold Tooth Aloe cold hardy?
It is rated to about 20°F. Cover it with frost cloth or a sheet on colder nights, not plastic.
Variegated vs green Gold Tooth Aloe
Both have the same size, flowers and care. The variegated form adds yellow stripes. The green form is a solid green with gold teeth.
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.