Aloe barberae - Inland Valley Garden Planner

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Description

Looking for a living sculpture for your garden? The Tree aloe may be the perfect centerpiece for a rock garden, raised planter or focal element on a garden slope. This tree-size aloe eventually develops massive trunks and branches; when planted in the ground it can reach 20-30 ft. tall. Long, curved leaves are fleshy and bunched at the ends of branches. Flowers vary in color from orange to rose-pink and occur on branched stems above leaves.

This species is native to coastal zones of eastern South Africa where it grows in frost free valleys on well draining sites. As a result, it's grown in locations where winter temperatures stay above 25-28°F. Tree aloe is a slow growing species; young plants are awkward in character, but eventually become unique garden plants. It can also be grown in containers where it remains at small sizes.

Water Needs

Tree aloe is well adapted to all parts of the Inland Empire in sunny exposures with normal winter rains and low amounts of summer irrigation. The chart shown below provides a recommended baseline guide to the monthly irrigation schedule and volume of supplemental water needed to maintain healthy growth throughout the average year. It should be noted there are several months indicated by an asterisk (*) when winter rains often provide sufficient moisture and irrigation is not needed. The high and low range of moisture indicates Tree aloe can grow with varying amounts of water; deep watering is recommended for the summer months.

Irrigation Schedule and Graph

Low Water Use Plants

Irrigation Schedule 1

	Jan*	Feb*	Mar*	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov*	Dec*
Runs per Month	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	1x	0x to 2x	0x to 2x
Inches per Run	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"

Inches per Month	0" to 2"	0" to 2"	0" to 2"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	1"	0" to 2"	0" to 2"

Range of supplemental summer water: 7"
Range of supplemental winter water: 0"-10"

0"-2"

Jan*

Feb*

Mar*

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov*

Dec*

For more information on how to use this Irrigation Schedule and Graph, click here.

Plant Properties

Plant Type: Tree
Foliage Character: Succulent, Evergreen
Habit: Upright, Open, Low-branching, Dense
Growth Rate: Slow
Height: 20 ft. - 30 ft.
Width: 15 ft. - 20 ft.
Water Needs: Low 1
Foliage Color: Dull green
Flower Color: Orange
Flower Season: Winter
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil
Exposure Adaptations: Wind, Aridity, All day sun, Partial sun
Function: Wildlife value, Specimen, Rock gardens, Hummingbird plant, Foliage accent plant, Container plant

Maintenance

Best planted in spring. Very low maintenance. If pruning to shape when young, best to prune only small branches. Old larger diameter branches do not heal well. Very old specimens can develop hollow branches or trunks, so check for signs of this for safety (D,S).

References