Aloe species grown at RBG
affinis Native to South Africa. Summer rainfall. Stemless, with dark green leaves which are sparsely
spotted or unspotted. Branching inflorescences with clusters of red flowers in winter.
Garden location: Bed E (SE corner)
arborescens (Torch Aloe) Native to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Most populations occur in summerrainfall areas. Forms a large shrub to 6’ or more high. Inflorescence without branches, dense conical
clusters of red flowers in winter (there is also a yellow-flowered plant at RBG, but red is the usual color).
Garden location: Bed 9; Bed 12 (alongside greenhouse); Bed E (yellow form); Bed M
brevifolia Native to South Africa (most southerly-occurring Aloe; grows near Cape Agulhas, the
southern tip of Africa). Receives rain in both winter and summer. Dwarf clump-forming stemless
species. Inflorescence without branches, narrow spikes of orange flowers in spring.
Garden location: Bed 8; Yucca Flat; Entry Garden (sidewalk near bus stop)
broomii Native to South Africa and Lesotho. Summer rainfall. Medium-sized single stemless species.
Inflorescence without branches, tall spike of small yellow or greenish-yellow flowers in spring.
Garden location: Entry Garden (N. of driveway)
buhrii Native to South Africa. Winter rainfall. Medium-sized stemless species, single or with a few
offshoots from base. Inflorescence with many branches bearing small clusters of yellow or orange
flowers in spring.
Garden location: Bed 6-W; Bed D (SW corner)
ciliaris Native to South Africa. Receives rain in both winter and summer. Forms large clump of long
clambering/climbing stems with small rosettes of thin leaves. Inflorescence without branches, small
clusters of red flowers with yellow tips at almost any time of year.
Garden location: Bed E
distans (Gold-Tooth Aloe) Native to South Africa. Winter rainfall. Forms clumps with small heads, but
long creeping stems with chunky leaves bearing yellow teeth. Inflorescence with several branches and
rounded heads of red flowers (somewhat flattened on top) in summer.
Garden location: Bed 7(N. side); Bed 10; Bed A
ferox (Candelabra Aloe) Native to South Africa. Most populations occur in summer-rainfall area. Large
trunk-forming single-headed species. Multi-branched candelabra-like inflorescences in winter. Typically
red or orange flowered, but also can be pink, yellow, white or bi-colored.
Garden location: Bed 7-W; Bed E (E. side)
glauca Native to South Africa. Winter rainfall. Normally a small stemless clumping species with milky
blue-green leaves, but larger forms occur with short trunks. Inflorescence without branches, with heads
of red flowers in winter.
Garden location: Bed 10 (N. side); Bed E (E. side)
greenii Native to South Africa. Summer rainfall. Stemless species with offshoots and speckled leaves.
Inflorescence with branches and clusters of pink flowers in fall.
Garden location: Bed 9-E; Bed 10 (S. edge)
kedongensis Native to Kenya (near equator; no seasons). Forms dense shrubs of light green leaves.
Inflorescence with a few branches, clusters of red flowers during the warm months.
Garden location: Bed 7-W
maculata [syn. A. saponaria] (Soap Aloe) Native to South Africa. Summer rainfall. Clumping stemless
species with spotted leaves. Inflorescence branched with dense rounded heads of flowers, often coralcolored, but sometimes orange or yellow, in late winter or spring.
Garden location: Bed 6-W (yellow form); Bed 7-W (coral form)
marlothii Native to South Africa and adjacent areas of Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Summer rainfall. Large trunk-forming single-headed species with prickles on the leaves. Inflorescence
with horizontally-spreading branches and yellow or orange flowers in winter.
Garden location: Bed E
microstigma Native to South Africa. Rainfall in both summer and winter. Stemless species, normally
single-headed, but sometimes dividing to make 2 or more heads. Inflorescence without branches.
Dense pointed clusters of flowers in winter, usually red & yellow, but sometimes all yellow or red.
Garden location: Bed E (at SW); Entry Garden
mitriformis Native to South Africa. Winter rainfall. Modest-size clumping species with chunky
triangular leaves edged with white or yellow teeth. Inflorescence with a few branches bearing round
heads of red flowers in summer. Closely related to A. distans, but usually less stemmy and with fuller
rounder flower heads.
Garden location: Bed 7 (N. side); Entry Garden at far N.
mudenensis Native to South Africa. Summer rainfall. Stemless clumper with spotted leaves, related to
A. maculata and A. greenii. Branching inflorescence in late winter with clusters of orange flowers.
Garden location: Bed 9 (at S. end and at NW); Entry Garden
plicatilis (Fan Aloe) Native to South Africa. Winter rainfall. Branching, trunk-forming species which
becomes a shrub or small tree, with fans of tongue-like blue-green leaves. Inflorescence without
branches, bearing small clusters of red flowers in late winter to spring.
Garden location: Bed E (N. side)
porphyrostachys Native to Saudi Arabia (most northerly-occurring Aloe). Summer rainfall. Stemless
medium-sized clumping species with gray-green leaves. Inflorescence with few branches, bearing long
spires of red-orange flowers in spring.
Garden location: Bed 6-W
rubroviolacea Native to Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Summer rainfall. Clumping medium-sized species,
forming short stems which lie on ground. Leaves take on a purplish tinge in strong light. Inflorescence
single or with 1 branch, bearing dense heads of red flowers in late fall to winter.
Garden location: Bed E (SW corner)
speciosa (Tilt-Head Aloe) Native to South Africa. Rainfall in both summer and winter. Fairly large
trunk-forming species which starts out single, but often divides at the head when mature to yield multiheaded plants. Inflorescence without branches, bearing dense heads of flowers in late winter, with
reddish-pink buds becoming ivory as they open.
Garden location: Bed 9; Bed E (SW corner)
striata (Coral Aloe) Native to South Africa. Rainfall mostly in summer. Stemless medium-sized species
which may stay single or divide to make a multi-headed clump. The broad leaves are edged with a
smooth orange border instead of teeth. Inflorescence with many branches bearing small clusters of
coral flowers in late winter to spring.
Garden location: Bed 10 (along edge at SE); Entry Garden
striatula Native to South Africa and Lesotho. Summer rainfall. Shrub-forming species with small heads
and slender stems, with distinct stripes at the base of the leaves where they clasp the stem.
Inflorescence without branches, bearing pointed heads of yellow flowers in summer.
Garden location: Bed 7 (N. side); Entry Garden (along soundwall)
succotrina Native to South Africa, near Cape Town. Winter rainfall. Makes a short trunk over time,
increasing by dividing at the head or making offshoots. Inflorescence without branches, bearing conical
head of red flowers in winter.
Garden location: Bed E (SE corner)
vera [syn. A. barbadensis] Cultivated since ancient times, but native habitat not known (probably
Arabia, where its closest relatives are found). Widely naturalized in areas of winter rainfall (such as the
Mediterranean) and also summer rainfall (such as islands in the Caribbean). Stemless medium-size
clumping species. Inflorescence usually with 1 or 2 branches, bearing dense tapering spires of yellow
flowers, mostly in spring – summer.
Garden location: Bed D (SE corner); Bed E