There is much dispute about the origin of this well-known succulent because it has been cultivated for its many medicinal properties all over the world for thousands of years. It can be sold by different names because there is also some dispute and confusion about its nomenclature.
What can’t be disputed is how easy medicinal aloe is to grow. It does well in full sun or shade, and is often grown in containers as a houseplant where it’s too cold to be grown outdoors. Its fleshy, green to blue-green leaves are sometimes spotted, but all have soft barbs along their edges and grow mostly upright in dense, stem-less clumps. It clumps more as it ages, eventually spreading up to 6 or more feet. Hummingbirds are often seen sipping nectar from the tubular yellow or orange flowers that are borne on 3 foot spikes in spring.
Height: 1 – 2 feet
Width: 6+ feet
Bloom color: Yellow
Flowering season: Summer
USDA minimum zone: 9
Cold hardiness: 25° F
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