Supreme Orange Aloe

Supreme Orange Aloe (Aloe 'Supreme Orange') is a compact hybrid aloe that sends bright orange flower spikes up over a tight rosette of about 60cm tall and 60cm wide. The flowers arrive through the cooler months when nectar is scarce, and honeyeaters find them quickly. Beyond full sun and sharp drainage it asks for almost nothing.

Why you'll love it

• Colour in the off season. Orange spikes stand well clear of the foliage through the cooler months.
• Honeyeaters work it. The tubular flowers are built for nectar feeding birds, so a group becomes a reliable feeding stop.
• It handles bad ground. Poor sandy soil, gravel, salt wind, searing heat and long dry spells are all within its range.
• The size stays put. A 60cm by 60cm rosette needs no pruning and never outgrows its spot.

Where it works best

Pots and containers. A 300mm to 400mm pot of cactus and succulent mix is ideal.

Rockeries and dry gardens. Plant 50cm apart between rocks or through gravel, where the drainage suits it and the rosette reads against stone.

Mass planting and coastal borders. The same 50cm spacing gives a continuous band within two seasons, and salt laden wind does not mark the leaves.

Growing Supreme Orange Aloe in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, all day. It suits tropical, subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid gardens, so most of the country qualifies. It takes light frost only, so cold inland and southern districts want a pot that can move under cover.

Soil. Sharp drainage is the whole game. Sandy, gravelly and poor soils are ideal; heavy clay is not, so plant on a raised mound or in a pot. Use a gravel or pebble mulch rather than organic mulch, which holds damp against the base and rots it.

Water and feed. Water deeply but rarely: fortnightly through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. Feeding is barely necessary, though a light slow release dose in early spring lifts the flowering.

Grooming. No pruning as such. Cut spent flower stems off at the base once they brown, and pull away the dry lower leaves each year to keep the rosette clean.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it in two sizes: a tube, and 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes are small single rosettes, about the width of your palm, and take two seasons to reach flowering size. The 140mm pack of ten covers roughly 2.5 square metres at 50cm spacing, and those plants are closer to flowering.

Succulents travel better than almost anything else we send. Leave yours dry for a week after planting rather than watering it in heavily. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete aloe care guide
• Browse the full succulent range
• Plants for rockeries and gravel gardens
• More salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens

Common questions

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. Aloes contain compounds that are toxic to cats and dogs, causing vomiting and lethargy if the leaves are chewed. Plant it out of reach, or choose a different succulent if your pet grazes.

Is this the same as the aloe used on burns?

No. That is Aloe vera, a different plant grown for its gel. Supreme Orange is an ornamental hybrid selected for flowering, and it is not intended for use on skin.

How often should I water it?

Far less than you think. Only when the soil has been dry for weeks, and next to nothing over winter. More aloes are killed by kindness than by drought.

Will it survive frost?

Light frost only. An odd cold night is survivable in the ground, but repeated hard frosts mark and eventually rot the leaves, so cold gardens should grow it in a movable pot.