Aloe descoingsii

Aloe descoingsii is the world's smallest aloe, forming clumps of tiny rosettes only a few centimetres across, and it is endemic to limestone country near Toliara in south-western Madagascar. It grows on crumbly limestone in dense, low Euphorbia scrub, in a hot, semi-arid climate with a short summer rainy season. It is listed as endangered and on CITES Appendix I.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Bright, filtered lightDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows on rock (lithophyte)

Where it grows wild

Grows on limestone soil and crumbly limestone rock in dense, low scrub with many Euphorbia species, including gullies cut into the escarpment at the edge of the Mahafaly Plateau near the coast.

Low elevation, from about 60 m to about 350 m.

Madagascar (south-west)

🔒 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 3.0 licence, unmodified.