There’s Such a Thing as Red Aloe, and Here’s Where You Can Find It

Most of us know aloe as the friendly green succulent whose juices help heal sunburn. But there’s also a variety of aloe that looks a little sunburnt itself. Meet Aloe cameronii, also known as red aloe, a bright plant that will cheer up your garden and require little attention in return.

Native to Africa, Aloe cameronii can also thrive in the U.S., in warm, sunny states like California and Florida, according to HouseBeautiful. Gardening website Gardenia calls it “one of the most attractive foliage Aloes,” and it’s easy to see why. Its leaves range in color from muted green to coppery orange and deep red.

Like other succulents, this aloe changes color depending on environmental factors like light and water level. In late fall and early winter, it sprouts long tendrils with bottle brush-shaped flowers on top.

The red aloe likes full sun and little water, and it thrives in sandy or gravelly, well-drained soil. It typically grows one to two feet tall and two to four feet wide. It’s also easy to propagate from cuttings, so when friends visit your garden and inevitably fall in love with your unique succulent, you can nurture a baby one for them to take home.

Aloe cameronii, while especially striking, is not the only red aloe. Aloe arborescens, also known as torch aloe, has green leaves and red-orange flowers. Aloe plicatilis, or fan aloe, has rounded green leaves with red or orange tips, and its flowers are red as well.

You can find Aloe cameronii for sale on Cactus.com, where it costs $6.50 for a one-gallon plant or $18 for a five-gallon one.