{"product_id":"aloe-hybrid-leo-tusker","title":"Aloe ‘Tusker’","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePrice includes everything:\u003c\/strong\u003e the plant, free delivery and professional installation by our planting team. One price, whole job done.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAloe ‘Tusker’\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAloe\u003c\/em\u003e ‘Tusker’ is grown for architecture first and flowers second: broad, recurved, toothed leaves build a heavy rosette that lifts onto a short trunk as it ages. Winter is when it earns its keep, pushing branched spikes of orange to coral flower at the season when most dry gardens have nothing happening. Being a hybrid of southern African parentage, it is more forgiving and faster than most of the collector species.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eWhy Aloe ‘Tusker’\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWinter Flower Spikes\u003c\/strong\u003e: Branched heads of coral to orange flower open from about June, filling the gap before spring.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBold Rosette\u003c\/strong\u003e: Thick recurved leaves with prominent marginal teeth give a heavy, sculptural form at close range.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBird Attracting\u003c\/strong\u003e: The nectar rich spikes pull honeyeaters and wattlebirds into the garden through winter.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoastal and Dry Tolerance\u003c\/strong\u003e: It shrugs off salt wind, reflected heat and long rainless periods once established.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLow Litter\u003c\/strong\u003e: Old leaves dry against the stem rather than dropping, so it stays clean over paving.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eIdeal Applications\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDry Feature Bed\u003c\/strong\u003e: Grouped in threes through gravel with agaves, euphorbias and grasses.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCoastal Gardens\u003c\/strong\u003e: A structural evergreen for exposed sandy sites near the sea.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSlopes and Rockeries\u003c\/strong\u003e: Ideal on a bank where drainage is naturally sharp and the rosette is viewed side on.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLarge Containers\u003c\/strong\u003e: A single plant in a wide pot on a hot terrace or courtyard.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003eSpecimen \u0026amp; Installation\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (screening\/hedge):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 to 1.2m for a massed group\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSpacing (feature\/avenue):\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBest Planting Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring to early autumn, avoiding cold wet winter planting\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil \u0026amp; Drainage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Free draining sandy or gravelly soil. On clay, plant into a raised bed or slope so water cannot sit around the base.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eEstablishment Care:\u003c\/strong\u003e Water every week or two through the first warm season, then only during extended dry spells. Gravel mulch keeps the crown dry and discourages the basal rot that kills aloes in wet soil.\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch4\u003ePlant Details\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 to 1.5m of foliage, with winter flower spikes reaching roughly 2m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWidth:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 to 1.5m\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Moderate\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage:\u003c\/strong\u003e Evergreen, succulent\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNative to:\u003c\/strong\u003e A garden hybrid, with parentage among the southern African aloes\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlower Colour:\u003c\/strong\u003e Orange to coral red\n\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nursery Direct","offers":[{"title":"400mm","offer_id":59795299598622,"sku":"ND-0119-400MM","price":800.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"500mm","offer_id":59795299631390,"sku":"ND-0119-500MM","price":875.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/2536\/8862\/files\/Pz2DT2GtmIOWxWZ0cVLR8_TJtdYR7s.jpg?v=1787313030","url":"https:\/\/nurserydirect.com.au\/products\/aloe-hybrid-leo-tusker","provider":"Nursery Direct","version":"1.0","type":"link"}