Gardens along the South African coastline display many outstanding specimens of Aloe thraskii. The common height they reach is around 2 m, but occasionally plants in excess of 4 m are seen. This is one of the recognised South African tree aloes (SA Tree List No. 30.7).
The fruits looking black at this stage are maturing, preparing the thousands of seeds inside for flight, once they are dry and their capsules burst at the seams. Their positioning offers a perfect presentation to the south-easterly wind that will blow in the season when this happens.
The “bearded” appearance of persistent dry leaves on the stem below the leaf rosette does not quite reach the ground on this plant. The oldest live leaves gradually sag down closer to the stem, to lie eventually on top of their predecessors, keeping the stem well covered and providing housing to insect, spider and snake.