Botanical name

Aloe pretoriensis

Other names

Family

Asphodelaceae

Dimensions

With inflorescence up to 3 m

Description of stem

Leafless stem of 1 m, often not erect

Description of leaves

Blue-green leaves in densely packed single rosettes; leaves inconspicuously lineate and smooth, often dying off early at the tips, but erect until they dry out; leaf edge armed with hard teeth

Description of flowers

Very tall inflorescence branches attractively above the middle; racemes of pink to red flowers appear conical

Description of seed/fruit

Dried perianth persists on the thin capsule

Description of roots

Variation

Propagation and cultivation

Transplants reasonably well in sunny, well-drained sites; does not always last too well in the garden, maybe to do with watering(?)

Tolerances

Uses

Ecological rarity

Pests and diseases

Other

Location

Rocky outcrops and hilly grassland

Distribution (SA provinces)

Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga

Country

South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe