Aloe decurva

Mount Zembe aloe

The Mount Zembe aloe is a critically endangered cliff aloe found only on one granite inselberg in central Mozambique. Reynolds described it in 1957. Its epithet refers to its downward-curving leaves, and it grows on steep to nearly vertical rock faces. In cultivation it needs a sunny, sharply drained position with a dry, 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 on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Collectors describe plants growing mostly on very steep, sometimes almost vertical granite rock faces near the top of Mount Zembe. The cliffs are exposed rock with pockets of grit and humus in cracks, surrounded by summer-rainfall miombo woodland and grassland.

Labelled specimens are from about 915 to 1133 m, at and near the summit of Mount Zembe.

Mozambique

🔒 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. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 2.0 licence, unmodified.