Growing Aloes in the Sacramento Valley

Aloe ferox and Aloe striata (flowers and unripe seeds) in the UC Davis Biological Orchard and Gardens.

Like all great plants, aloes don’t need much and give a lot. They look beautiful year round, especially solitary plants with perfectly symmetrical rosettes, and they play well with others—from succulents to California natives to dry-climate perennials. Above all, I love aloes because most of them flower in the winter when little else does. Nothing adds cheer in the dull days of winter like a clump of aloes in bloom and the hummingbirds they attract.

I live in Davis, 15 miles west of downtown Sacramento, and plant friends from the Bay Area and beyond often seem surprised when they find out how many different aloe species I have and how well they grow. No, I’m not some wizard with particularly green thumbs, nor do I live in a particularly sheltered location. Any gardener in the Sacramento Valley can do what I do. This article shows how.

We can grow an enormous variety of spectacular plants in our region, including aloes. Many aloes are actually perfectly suited for our Mediterranean climate, especiall...