Species library › Aloe › Aloe arborescens
Succulents Well documented

Aloe arborescens

Krantz aloe

The krantz aloe is a large, multi-headed shrub up to 2-3 m tall, with bluish-green toothed leaves and red-orange winter flowers. It has one of the widest ranges of any aloe, running along the eastern side of southern Africa from the Cape coast to Malawi. It grows from sea level to mountain tops, on rocky outcrops, ridges and forest margins. It is tough and forgiving: give it sun, sharp drainage and a drier, cooler winter.

At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry
Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry
Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry
Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

It grows in mountainous country on rocky outcrops, exposed ridges and krantzes (cliffs), and also in coastal bush and on forest edges. It is one of very few aloes found from sea level to mountain summits. It is often traditionally planted as a living fence, so some records near settlements may be of planted clumps.

It grows from sea level to mountain tops (roughly 0 to about 2000 m). The GBIF records seldom carry elevations. Many are coastal in the Western and Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and others are on the Mpumalanga and Limpopo escarpment.

BotswanaCape ProvincesEswatiniFree StateKwaZulu-NatalMalawiMozambiqueNorthern ProvincesZimbabwe

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates
✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it
✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light
✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it
✓ Substrate and airflow
✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app.