Partridge Breast Aloe in bloom

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Aloes make great companion plants for palms and cycads. In a small garden, they can add a lot of visual interest. Here is a a Partridge Breast aloe, also known as Tiger Aloe or Aloe Variagata. It's tiny, as you can see by the olives on the ground around it, so it's out front where it can be seen. Even when it's not in bloom, this aloe is beautiful. Aloes like this look best planted between rocks, but you have to be careful in a hot area like Phoenix that they get a little bit of shade.

By the way, this isn't the common African Aloe or Aloe Vera, which clumps and spreads out, taking over everything. This is a tiny specimen aloe. Expensive, but worth it. It's a gem.

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