Species library › Aloe › Aloe erinacea
Succulents Partly documented

Aloe erinacea

A small, very spiny, slow-growing aloe endemic to southern Namibia, just north of the range of its close relative Aloe melanacantha, and often treated as a subspecies of it. It forms tight rosettes of stiff, incurved leaves armed with dark spines and sometimes offsets into dense clumps. It is Endangered in the wild; grow it hard, dry and bright, and water mainly in the cool season.

Aloe erinacea
Photo: Michael Wolf, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
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

Rocky ground and dry shrubland on high mountain slopes in arid southern Namibia. Plants sit among rocks in full sun, with very sharp drainage and sparse vegetation. The populations are now fragmented, and the species is threatened by habitat loss and illegal collecting.

The sources describe it only as growing on high mountain slopes; no measured elevations were available.

Namibia

🔒 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 2.5 licence, unmodified.