Plant in full sun or light shade - even grows well in deep shade where it is a bit greener, more prostrate and does not flower. This hardy aloe requires only occasional to very infrequent irrigation in Southern California and even grows well in full sun in desert heat. It has proven hardy to around 20° F. It is great for mass plantings as a succulent groundcover, as a potted specimen or spotted into the rock or succulent garden and is an excellent plant for attracting hummingbirds.

This great long-blooming aloe hybrid may have been one of Edward C. Hummel's hybrids and is thought by some to have Aloe humilis as one parent, but it is not the same as the A. humilis hybrid called 'Ed Hummel' which is smaller and has spines on the upper and lower leaf faces. Aloe 'Blue Elf' has also been marketed as "California Aloe" and "Blue Boy" (not to be confused with the Kelly Griffin hybrid by the same name) and is one of our most popular landscape aloes. There also is another aloe circulating in California nurseries that goes by the name Aloe 'California' that is very similar but is a taller more robust plant and it is our belief that these two aloes are confused in the trade. We have Aloe 'California' in our garden but do not sell it as we think 'Blue Elf', which we have offered since 2005, the superior plant. 

This information about Aloe 'Blue Elf' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.