Aloe Vera in Bloom

I love this. Growing up in a household where houseplants were plenty, I never knew that aloe vera can actually bloom, but it does once it matures. I also didn't know that there are different types of aloe vera, including a variety that bears foliage with tiger-like stripes. The domestic variety we most often see typically bears yellow blooms, but my particular favorite is here, bearing stalks of reddish orange flowers. Hummingbirds tend to visit these, as they favor tubular flowers, like aloe vera, trumpet vine, and penstemon. Aloe vera in bloom is always a happy sight.

More Botanical Details

By happenstance, I found these photos I took a couple of years ago at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, AZ. Just for the sake of adding another something beautiful to the blog, I thought I would include them here.

Aloe vera blooming

Unknown to many people, aloe vera, when matured, bear beautiful blooms like these. The typical household plant variety usually gets yellow blooms, shaped like these flowers, but there are actually a wide variety of aloe vera to choose from, including a type with tiger striped foliage. Very. Cool. Stuff.

Agave and yucca thriving together

What I love about desert flora is its knack for creating drama. Both agave and yucca grow to be quite large and their spiky foliage really makes a statement.

Chihuly blue orb

Chihuly's glass artwork is beautiful to see, by day and by night. This blue orb is simply amazing and brings a refreshing sense of coolness to the desert heat.

A hill of saguaro

The iconic cactus of the American Southwest, the saguaro is beautiful and slow-growing. I have yet to have the opportunity to photograph them in spring bloom. They get these incredibly large, impressively surreal white flowers.

Cactus detail

To be honest, I have no idea what type of cactus this large specimen is; I was just amazed by its great abundance of limbs. Simply beautiful to see.