Plant in a well-drained soil in full sun to light shade in the desert and water occasionally to infrequently. Cold hardy down to at least 25° F - undamaged here at those temperatures in 2007. This plant was an International Succulent Introduction in 2003 (ISI 2003-170) of a plant that had for many years been growing at the Huntington Botanic Garden (HBG 29892) as a yellow form of the eastern and central African (Uganda, Congo, Rwanda) Aloe dawei, but was later determined to likely be a hybrid of that species. The name was inspired by the arrangement of the buds in reference Jacob's dream, as described in the Bible, where he saw angels ascending and descending a ladder to heaven. The Huntington Botanic Garden in their description of this plant noted "the plant is particularly beautiful after a winter storm when each flower bud holds a drop of rainwater at its tip. Colorful buds give way to pendent flowers that extend the display over much of southern California's winter."

We have grown this great aloe since 2013 from plants received from the Huntington Botanical Gardens. There is an exceptional large planting of this aloe surrounding the commercial building across Patterson Ave from the Goleta Cottage Hospital near our nursery. For more information about the one suspected parent of this plant, see our listing for Aloe dawei. 

The information about Aloe 'Jacob's Ladder' that is displayed on this web page is based on research conducted in our nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We will also include observations made about this plant as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens that we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We also incorporate comments that we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they share cultural information that aids others growing this plant.