Plant Care Library

Description:

A beautiful stemless variety with glaucous, spiny leaves that are severely incurved, creating a spherical rosette; produces a thick, bold spike of orangy-red flowers in winter; a wonderful garden or container accent

Ornamental Features

Fez Aloe features bold spikes of orange tubular flowers with red overtones rising above the foliage in late winter. Its attractive succulent sword-like leaves remain powder blue in color with showy salmon variegation throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Fez Aloe is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with a more or less rounded form. Its wonderfully bold, coarse texture can be very effective in a balanced garden composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and usually looks its best without pruning, although it will tolerate pruning. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spiny

Fez Aloe is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Fez Aloe will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 14 inches. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers dry to average moisture levels with very well-drained soil, and will often die in standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in sandy soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Fez Aloe is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.