Paint is a strong word. More like a dye. If it was on a sheet of glass, light would pass through it like a stain glass window, so that's how the plant continues to get photosynthesis. Also Aloe hybrids can take bright shade easily. Full bright sun would probably over heat and kill them. Or not? I don't know. Any way you look at it, it's not healthy. I have to admit, I was excited when I first saw them. I picked out 3 of them before I noticed blue, then purple and saw how fake they were. Reds and yellows are normal on some but not that intense and so many colors. Then I was mad at myself.

I suspect a lot of these were taken for the purpose of making people like us go OMG or laugh our butts off..or say things like that's why I would never go to Wal-mart...I'm so above places like that....blah blah blah..

The only time that I have seen HVX in a 'box' store was at HD. It was in many plants and the saleswoman said she was going to remove all of them and she did. The next day they were replaced with different and equally infected plants. It depends on where they are sourced of course. These were from a CT supplier. I will not buy any that are from them or from HD. I do agree that keeping them separated works. Even if an infected plant is planted with many others the virus cannot be transmitted unless live tissue (leaves, roots, crowns) of both the host plant and another are cut or abraded allowing juices (sap) to be transmitted from one to the other. Not sanitizing scissors, shovels, etc. will do it as well. If HVX is noticed, my recommendation is, don't panic and dig it up as this may spread the disease. Take a disposable foam paint brush and 'paint' the leaves and stems with glyphosate (Round Up), repeat if necessary to kill it to the root and then don't plant anything until the following Spring. In the late Fall when going dormant it may be difficult to terminate a plant or tell if it is going dormant or dying. Wait until the spurt in Spring and it will be far easier. The worst thing to do, as in most situations in life, is to panic. Jon

It is one of those geraniums which extend outwards from new leaf nodes - like psilostemon or wallichianum, rather than manitaining a clump form such as sanguineum...but given a chance, it will scramble upwards through surrounding taller plants, popping up, seemingly at random between close growing perennials and shrubs. Not really suited as a specimen plant - but looking good in a 'wild' or informal garden.