Aloe Christmas Carol

Aloe 'Christmas Carol' (Aloe 'Christmas Carol') is a small hybrid aloe grown for its foliage rather than its size. It reaches only about 30cm tall and 40cm across, with deep green leaves ridged in raised red teeth and streaked red down the centre, then red to orange flower spikes that bring honeyeaters in close. For a hot doorstep pot or a gap in a rockery, few plants ask less.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowers. The red markings and toothed edges are there every day of the year, so the plant carries a pot on foliage alone.
• Built for heat and drought. Heat tolerant, drought tolerant and salt tolerant, it holds up in the western facing spots that cook other plants.
• Small enough for anywhere. It fits a windowsill pot, a courtyard cluster or the front edge of a garden bed.
• Nectar birds notice it. The red and orange spikes are a genuine food source, not just decoration.

Where it works best

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A 200mm to 250mm pot of free draining mix suits it for years, and it survives the weeks a balcony gets ignored.

Rockeries and borders. Tuck it between stones where drainage is sharp and reflected heat is high. Along a path edge it gives a low, defined line.

Mass planting. Plant 30cm apart for a bold mass planting. At that spacing the rosettes touch without crowding, which keeps air moving and rot away.

Growing Aloe 'Christmas Carol' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun brings out the strongest red, though it takes a few hours of afternoon shade in the hottest inland gardens. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens. It handles light frost only, so in cold districts grow it in a pot that can shift under eaves for winter.

Soil. Sharp drainage matters more than fertility. Use a cactus and succulent mix in pots, or open heavy ground with coarse sand and gravel and plant slightly proud so water runs away from the crown.

Water and feed. Soak, then let the soil dry right through: roughly every two to three weeks in warm weather, monthly in winter. A weak liquid feed twice over spring and summer is plenty. Overwatering is the only reliable way to lose it.

Pruning. None needed. Pull spent flower stems once they brown off, and remove basal offsets if you want the rosette to stay solitary.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock: a young rooted plant with a small rosette, not a finished specimen. Grow it on in a 150mm to 200mm pot for a season before planting out. Flowering usually starts in the second year.

Succulents travel well because the leaves carry their own water, so expect it to arrive in good order. Leave it dry for a week after planting, then water normally. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the aloe care guide for watering and repotting detail.
• Browse the full succulent range.
• See more plants for rockeries.
• Compare other succulents for hot climates.

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Aloes contain compounds that are toxic to cats and dogs if the leaves are chewed, typically causing vomiting and diarrhoea. Keep it up on a bench or out of reach if your pet chews plants.

How do I know if I am overwatering?

Soft, translucent or browning leaves at the base are the tell, and they mean too much water rather than too little. Let the mix dry right through before the next soak and check the pot actually drains.

Can it stay in a pot permanently?

Yes. A 200mm to 250mm pot with drainage holes will hold it indefinitely, and a pot is easy to move under shelter in frost prone gardens.

Does it flower every year?

An established plant usually flowers annually, most often through the cooler months. Full sun and restrained watering give the best spikes.