Aloes are amazing. Not only are they a natural medicine for a range of skin conditions including burns, they’re also incredibly beautiful and functional.
As long as they don’t experience prolonged wet feet, their roots are surprisingly robust and fibrous, making them a great option for erosion control. They bloom in the cooler months, feeding pollinating birds and insects when few other resources are available.
They can basically live off the smell of water, and are a great plant to make use of tiny gaps in rock retaining walls that don’t tend to hold a lot of moisture for very long. There are very few plants that require less maintenance; generally all you’ll need to do after establishment is to cut the deadhead flower stalks back to the base, and even that is optional.
One Aloe in particular stands out as being particularly hardy and beautiful, having been bred for a shorter compact growth habit and spectacular orange blooms.
Aloe hybrid ‘ANDsea’ PBR Trade Name Sea Urchin™
Dwarf aloe with bright orange winter flowers; extremely tough and drought tolerant
- Australian Plants Online: Tubestock; $7.55. https://www.australianplantsonline.com.au/aloe-mighty-sunset.html
This plant has a beautiful architectural shape that complements different textures such as mounded Westringia as well as other flowering clumps such as kangaroo paws.