Aloe speciosa is a a tall, erect plant with tilted head, growing a single or multiple stems to heights from 3 m to 6 m. It is a popular garden plant that may branch at the base or higher up.
Outstanding characteristics of this aloe are the elegantly shaped and slender, blue-green leaves, the tilt of the rosette to the north and the unusual inflorescence. Full sun tints the leaves in picture reddish purple, particularly towards their writhing tips.
The raceme is conical, comprises pinkish red buds that turn creamy white upon opening. This is when the dark stamens add colour contrast when becoming notably exserted. There are usually green lines along the length of the open perianth.
Blooming occurs at the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
The species distribution lies in a broad coastal swathe from the east of the Western Cape around Swellendam to the west of the Eastern Cape, as far as the Kei River.
The habitat includes fynbos and Albany thicket as well as riverine bush. On open land the plants reach about half the height achieved in the bush. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century.
A. speciosa is being grown successfully from seed in many of the warmer areas. It is frost sensitive but drought resistant, growing in various soil types and preferring sun (Jeppe, 1969; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).