Aloe striatula is native to the mountains of South Africa, where summers are hot and dry, and winters are very cold. It’s therefore an incredibly hardy aloe, which can be grown outside all year round in most parts of the UK. It has a sprawling, scrambling habit and may even climb if given support. Its fleshy leaves are striped different shades of green. In summer it bears tall, dramatic flower spikes not dissimilar to those of kniphofia, and it eventually forms a branching, woody trunk. It’s perfect for growing in a dry, gravel garden, where you don’t have to worry about getting it through winter.
Grow Aloe striatula in free-draining soil in full sun. Deadhead spent blooms and tidy up foliage when necessary. In very cold winters the foliage may shrivel but it quickly puts on new growth in spring.
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Aloe and wildlife
Aloe has no particular known value to wildlife in the UK.
