Along the Front Range, semi-arid growing conditions best suit plants that don’t constantly require the slaking of their thirst.
And that makes aloes a natural.
Prized primarily for foliage, these architecturally interesting, water- storing succulents can be a taste worth acquiring.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” said Nick Daniel, the horticulturist who cares for the succulent and cactus collection at the Denver Botanic Gardens. “As drought conditions continue and worsen, I would love to start seeing more people growing them.”
Aloes afford a measure of ease. “They’re not labor-intensive,” said Daniel.
In fact, Tagawa Gardens’ website lists Aloe barbadensis on its list of best plants for beginners.
“Some people are intimidated by growing aloes,” Daniel said. “Maybe it’s the spines or the watering issue. Some people think they don’t need water at all, but that’s a fallacy. Others overwater.”
The trick lies in recognizing vital aloe leaves; they’ll be plump to the touch. Underwatered or dormant leaves curl in, forming a boat shape.
Given ideal conditions, aloes bloom.
“The flowers are incredibly variable — everything from straight sunflower yellow to fiery red-orange,” Daniel said. “A lot of people don’t typically see aloe flowers because the plants die or are not getting enough light.”
The gardens’ aloe collection includes about 45 species. And they vary dramatically in size. “Tiny aloes never get bigger than a golf ball, but some grow 7 feet tall,” Daniel said. One aloe in the gardens’ collection is about 30 years old and stands 4 feet tall.
The succulent collection isn’t open to the public, but visit the rock alpine garden and enter its display house to see aloes.
“This is a science collection. A living museum,” said Daniel, noting one of the gardens’ primary objectives: conservation. “A lot of these plants’ habitats are disappearing or encroached on. We’re keeping the genetics alive.”
Long-lived aloes are the parrots of the plant world: “You can get an aloe when you’re 20 and have it when you’re 60,” said Daniel. “You grow with them and become very attached to them.”
Hooked yet? Daniel recommends Paulino Gardens as a good local source for aloe selection. Mail order is also a viable option.
But the gardens’ collection does not include good ol’ garden-variety aloe vera, which Daniel considers too common. Aloe vera yields a nutritional supplement and medicine. Many people know that aloe vera soothes burns and irritated skin, but Daniel cautions against using aloe gel directly from a plant unless you’re positive it is indeed aloe vera. (And don’t use it on, or in, pets; it’s toxic to dogs and cats.)
“Never just rub aloe juice on yourself. You never want to put plant saps on skin without testing on a small, uninjured area first to make sure you’re not going to have a reaction. A lot of aloes are poisonous,” he said. “It’s better to buy aloe vera extract so you know it’s not mislabeled.”
At a Vitamin Cottage in Denver, Tiffin Vaughn stocks aloe vera in gel, juice and capsule form.
All can be ingested by humans, but most people use the gel if they’re making salves, lotions or creams.
Vaughn advised looking for whole-leaf aloe. “The best quality is flash-heated and pressed immediately so it retains enzymes and nutrients.”
Colleen Smith’s first novel, “Glass Halo” was a finalist for the 2010 Sante Fe Literary Prize and is available in Denver bookstores or on Amazon.com.
Grow your own
Denver Botanic Gardens expert Nick Daniel offered these tips on growing aloes.
• Use quick-draining growing medium: 3 parts scoria (crushed volcanic rock), 3 parts Turface (gritty soil used on baseball fields), 1 part no-frills potting soil.
• Aloes prefer porous clay pots. “Clay pots are crucial. Standard terra cotta pots let more air through,” he said.
• Provide bright, indirect light.
• Allow your aloe to become pot-bound. “The worst thing to do is overpot. Let aloe roots hit the bottom and sides of pots,” Daniel said.
• If feeding, use fertilizer low in nitrogen. “I feed to push the plants along,” said Daniel. He uses low-nitrogen organic blooming booster, cut to one-quarter strength, and feeds once per month from April through September.
• Do not overwater. “Too much water means the root system can’t breathe. The plant will rot off at the base, and it can happen in a matter of hours,” Daniel said. Err on the side of caution, especially during dormancy.
• Happy aloes will reward you with “pups,” he said. “Aloes love to offset.”
• Aloes are not hardy. Before first frost, bring aloe inside and situate in sunny windows for winter.
Colleen Smith
