Coral Aloe Striata

The Coral Aloe Striata obviously takes the spotlight this week. Why lie, it was only a matter of time. We literally couldn’t go another day without featuring this amazing succulent.

This plant is one of the more uniquely shaped succulents with interesting characteristics. It’s a South African native but isn’t your traditional succulent - especially in terms of hardiness zone - more on that in a bit.

Coral Aloe has a distinctive growth and foliage pattern. First distinction - the leaves are wing-shaped. Second distinction - the foliage is green overall, but if you look closely you will see darker greenish vein-like stripes throughout them. As they get more sun the margins of the plant can turn a pink-red hue.

They aren’t as frost hardy as Sempervivum, but they do better with the cold than most other soft succulents. For whatever reason, these Aloe can handle temperatures outdoor to about 20 degrees F. I don’t really have a good explanation for why. It’s not like they come from a an area that gets cold… Sometimes, I suppose, it is what it is.

If you live in an area that gets colder than 20 degrees F, make sure to plant them in containers that can be moved indoors. Otherwise, these can be planted outdoors in gardens or pots year-round. Check your weather forecast often in the cooler months to protect these succulents.

When in mixed crowded succulent arrangements, they work best as the thriller due to their unique shape. They also look great in individual pots and gardens, so long as they are planted in fast-draining soil and have a little space between them and other succulents to grow.

At any point between winter and spring season, they have the potential to bloom. When they bloom, you can expect red flowers to pop out. The blooms tend to attract butterflies in the spring season, so have your cameras ready.

At full maturity, they can get to about 1 foot high and 3 feet wide. We sell them in 2 inch sizes, so they have a long way to grow for you.