Outdoor Dream Builders

ROC #343460

Back to Plant Library

succulentPet Friendly

Dawe's Aloe

Name: Dawe's Aloe
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Aloe dawei

A bold, large-scale aloe that commands attention with its impressive rosette and cheerful yellow flower spikes.

Frost sensitive, hardy to about 30°F, USDA 9-11; a tender low-desert aloe.

AMWUA Notes

Low-water clumping aloe that provides winter and spring nectar on minimal irrigation.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Water every 1-2 weeks in summer and less in winter; aloes are more forgiving than agaves but still rot in soggy soil.

✂️Pruning

Remove spent flower stalks and dead lower leaves; divide crowded clumps.

🌱Fertilizing

Optional light spring feeding encourages bloom.

🛡️Pests

Watch for aloe mite (galls), scale and mealybugs; treat promptly.

☀️Seasonal Notes

Frost-tender below 30°F—protect the large rosettes in cold snaps; yellow flower spikes appear spring into summer.

Soil, Feeding & Propagation

🪨Soil

Fast-draining gritty soil or decomposed granite; low organic matter

💧Drainage

Needs sharp, fast-draining soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

Low feeder.

🌰Propagation

Division of clump offsets

📐Spacing

5-6 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Shallow, non-invasive roots; keep the large rosettes away from foot traffic

Placement Tips

•Use as a bold focal point with room for a 6 ft spread.
•Provide light afternoon shade in the hottest inland spots to prevent leaf scorch.
•Plant in fast-draining soil.
•Keep away from foot traffic.

Features

Bold specimen sizeYellow spring-summer bloomsArchitectural rosetteDramatic presence

Best Uses

SpecimenFocal pointLarge-scale accent

Companion Plants

succulent

Cape Aloe

Aloe ferox

A towering South African aloe whose fiery orange-red winter blooms draw hummingbirds and create a lush oasis feel.

Very Low Waterfull sun

succulent

Medicinal Aloe

Aloe vera

The classic healing aloe whose soothing gel has been used for centuries, while its blooms support bees and butterflies.

Very Low Waterpartial shadePool Safe

succulent

Red Yucca

Hesperaloe parviflora

One of the toughest and most rewarding desert plants, sending up arching coral-red flower spikes that hummingbirds adore.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

succulent

Octopus Agave

Agave vilmoriniana

A fast-growing, spineless agave with gracefully arching leaves that twist and curl like octopus tentacles.

Very Low Waterfull sunPool Safe

Quick Stats

Water NeedsVery Low (Xeric)

Sun Exposurepartial shade

Mature Size6 ft H × 6 ft W

Growth Rateslow

Maintenancelow

HardinessUSDA 9-11

FoliageEvergreen

Drainagesharp, fast-draining

Bloom SeasonSpring-summer

Bloom ColorYellow

Litter Levellow

Thornssmall

Native RegionCentral Africa

Design Styles

desert moderntropical oasis

Include in Your Project

Love Dawe's Aloe? Our landscape team sources from wholesale nurseries and can incorporate it into your design.

Talk to a Dream Builder Get a Project Estimate

Already a Client?

Use this care guide to maintain your Dawe's Aloe. Questions about your landscape? Reach out anytime.

Data from 2024 AMWUA “Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert” guide.