Is there such a thing as a red aloe? Or an aloe that gets that color when planted in a sunny spot? I am especially interested in any that have a reddish tone. Do any of these survive the winter outdoors here in the Pacific Northwest?
The most famously red aloe is Aloe cameronii. In her book Succulent Container Gardens (Timber Press, 2010), Debra Lee Baldwin mentions several species that change color in sun:
“Aloes that turn color when given full sun include Aloe cameronii (crimson), Aloe buhrii (orange), and Aloe taurii and Aloe dorothaea (bright red). Softball-sized Aloe nobilis, which forms dark green rosettes with wedge-shaped leaves toothed with white or yellow prickles, turns shades of red-orange.”
Baldwin’s book also includes “design-oriented plant lists” with guidance about color.
In our climate, most aloe species will need to be sheltered over the winter in a greenhouse. One local nursery, Desert Northwest lists a couple of winter-hardy (or almost-hardy) aloes, but they are not the ones noted for their red foliage.