Aloe arborescensKrantz Aloe

The Aloe arborescens, commonly known as the Krantz Aloe, is a multi-headed shrubby aloe from the rocky slopes and coastal cliffs of southern Africa. It builds into a broad mound of branching stems, each carrying a rosette of curved, toothed, grey-green leaves, and throws vivid orange-red conical flower spikes through the cool season.

It is the most reliable winter-flowering succulent at shrub scale and it fills ground quickly, which makes it a workhorse in mass planting rather than a single specimen. It is used on banks, medians and rocky slopes and as a low informal barrier.

Specifications

• Height2 to 3 metres
• Width2 to 3 metres, forming a broad multi-stemmed clump
• Native toSouthern Africa, from South Africa and Eswatini north to Malawi and Mozambique
• FoliageCurved, fleshy, grey-green leaves with pale marginal teeth, held in rosettes at the tip of each branching stem; evergreen
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilRequires well-drained sandy, gravelly or rocky soils; rots in heavy or poorly drained ground
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterLow; strongly drought-tolerant once established and easily overwatered
• ClimateThrives in arid, semi-arid, subtropical and coastal regions; tolerates light frost

Additional Features

• FlowersVivid orange-red conical racemes held well clear of the foliage through the cool season, when little else is in flower
• UsesBank and slope mass planting, median and roundabout beds, rocky and gravel gardens, low informal barrier planting
• SpacingPlant 1.5 to 2 metres apart for a continuous mound within two seasons
• Low MaintenanceRemove spent flower spikes and old lower leaves; no feeding required
• Pest ResistanceRobust where drainage is sharp, with few significant pest or disease problems
• Drought ToleranceHigh, holding full form through long dry periods on minimal irrigation
• Salt ToleranceTolerates coastal salt wind, reflecting its natural occurrence on sea cliffs
• Wildlife AttractionThe winter flower spikes are a major nectar source for sunbirds and bees
• Erosion ControlThe dense branching clump and shallow root mat hold loose material on banks and slopes

The Krantz Aloe gives strong winter colour and fast ground coverage from a plant that asks for almost no water.