Herself’s Houston Garden

This is my first attempt at growing aloe outdoors. Someone brought some cuttings off a plant she was trimming to a meeting I was attending the other evening.

Aloes want full sun. They are succulents and store water so they need very little water and will rot if planted in a damp area.

Aloes thrive in the Houston summers, mine barely wintered over in the winter of ’09-’10. Most of the outer leaves died off and only the inner protected ones survived all the frosts we had.

Once established and happy they will bloom, flowers come up on tall spikes and are impressive. The aloe sends up new shoots and rapidly forms clusters of plants.

Blooming takes place in winter and it makes a great winter food for hummingbirds and bees.

Aloe doesn’t mind being moved about if you want o try a new location. Grows rapidly, sends off pups from base which you can leave or replant elsewhere.

Aloe starting to bloom Nov 14th 2008