Aloe variegata

Aloe variegata, Tiger Aloe or Partridge Breast Aloe, is a distinctive Aloe from western South Africa and Southern Namibia and is one of the most popular Aloes in cultivation as it makes a stunning and rewarding house or container plant. It is far more cold-tolerant than is generally realised and will survive a brief mild frost as it does in California but thoughts of trying to overwinter it outdoors in the UK should be relegated to the realms of wishful thinking.

Aloe variegata is instantly recognised by the sculptural shape of its elegant stiff foliage arranged in three separate ranks which slowly creates a tall spiral together with the distinctive white variegation on the leaves which forms an attractive irregular transverse banding. The marginal edges of each leaf has minute serrations.

As many of you will know, many species of Aloe have experienced new taxonomic names relatively recently and Aloe variegata was renamed Gonialoe variegata. You may also have noticed that here at Tropical Britain we have not applied any of these Aloe re-classifications. The reason is simple: we follow The Plant List as determined by the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew and by the Missouri Botanical Gardens. The is the accepted authority. We may not always agree with it but we find it more useful to follow its rather slow-moving changes than subscribe to every new botanical paper that is published.

All that aside, Aloe variegata is probably one of the best house-pets you will ever have and looks fabulous in a terra cotta container. Just make sure you don't over-water it. No water from October to March is about right. Then just a very little once a month during the Spring and summer. This is a serious desert plant!