Aloes are a plant family deserving of far more respect than they are generally given. This genus of over 500 species, are perfect for the harsh climatic conditions of our beautiful and diverse country, in which every drop of water is increasingly precious.

Being distinctly drought-tolerant, mostly sun loving, aloes thrive in relatively poor soil, as long as it is well-drained.

Ranging in height from just a few centimetres to tree aloes towering 60 feet and more, chosen wisely, they make impressive feature plants or — in especially drought-stricken areas — it is possible to create an astonishing garden using nothing but aloes alone.

They are succulents rather than cacti, although many of them do wield wickedly sharp hooks and thorns. Succulents store water in their stems, fleshy leaves and roots, drinking it up during times of plenty and saving it to be used, drop by precious drop, during periods of extended drought.

Native to Arabia, Africa, Central and South America, many aloe species — the well-known aloe vera being one such — have a wide number of edible, medical and cosmetic uses.

Like many other gardeners, this writer long viewed aloes as rather boring plants not worth making space for. A few pots of aloe vera was as far as it went. However, this outlook underwent a complete change on watching a mind-blowing television documentary on an impressive selection of drought-resistant gardens in the Australian outback a number of years ago. These drought resistant gardens were hauntingly beautiful.

Easy to keep, climatically appropriate and aesthetically pleasing in any home, aloes are deserving of far more respect that they often get

Utilising whatever species of aloes they could easily source — painstakingly growing some from seed too — the owners of these gardens had, surprisingly quickly, created multi-hued, multi-textured, phantasmagorical paradises, which rarely saw a single drop of water.

Furthermore, the fascinatingly architectural landscapes thus created, attracted an astounding range of indigenous wildlife, which flourished in these self-sustaining ecosystems.

Aloes, even basically green-leafed ones, do not, it is important to understand, remain simply green and boring all year round. Their leaves undergo seasonal changes, becoming darker, lighter, greener, bluer or redder, depending on the ambient temperature. Many of them, including aloe vera, also burst into glorious bloom at least once, sometimes on and off, in the year.

Aloe vera for instance, often decides to send up flower spikes in spring. These suddenly appear, overnight it sometimes seems, poking out from where the fleshy leaves meet the main crown. One day they are nothing more than a hint of a protruding bump that can easily be mistaken for an emerging, new leaf; the next they are shooting skywards, at a rate of knots, branching out as they go.

Often bearing three flower spikes per stem, they can reach three to four feet before deciding to open their tightly packed, downward facing, bright lemon to gold, tubular flowers, to the sheer delight of bees, butterflies and any nectar-sipping birds around.

Other aloes, such as aloe claviflora, bear flowers of fluorescent vermillion, changing to dull gold as they age, whilst others, such as aloe pseudorubroviolacea, wear stem-hugging blooms of fire-engine red, and aloe wodii dresses itself in creamy white ones.

Aloe lovers around the world are continually experimenting and hybridising to create an endless rainbow of new colours and leaf forms.

Here, in Pakistan, the majority of aloe plants found in nurseries throughout the country tend to fall into a range of greens, blues, purples and bi-coloured variegations of these.

Tree aloes are not, to the best of the writer’s knowledge, yet available, but many others — from very slow growing, almost miniature species, to rapidly growing, clump-forming ones, towering up to six feet tall and more when in bloom — are.

The majority of aloes are easily multiplied, by potting up and growing on the ‘pups’ that grow around the base of the rosettes of the parent plant. Potting them up is a job that calls for the wearing of thick, leather gauntlets, due to the unavoidable spines and teeth!

As previously mentioned, aloes thrive in poor quality soil as long as it is well-drained. Soil mixed with copious amounts of gravel — the gravel aids drainage — is perfect.

The small, slow-growing ones make excellent rockery plants, and are low-care pot plants too.

Interestingly, pot grown aloes are not as drought tolerant as aloes grown directly in the ground and nor do they grow as fast. The latter point means that it takes time for them to outgrow their pots — pots should, preferably, be of clay — while the former point does mean that they will appreciate a reviving drink of water, say once a week, throughout the summer months, but no water at all during winter.

With water conservation in mind, next time you head for a browse round your local nurseries, make a point of seeking out some aloes and, if possible, do give some a try.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened

Published in Dawn, EOS, April 11th, 2021