Aloe helenae
A tall, single-stemmed tree aloe from the far south-east of Madagascar that can reach about 4 m, topped by a rosette of channelled, recurved leaves that redden under strong sun or drought. It is endangered, known from only a few small populations, and listed on CITES Appendix I, so plants in trade should be nursery-raised from legal seed. At home it wants the same treatment as other lowland Madagascan spiny-forest succulents: very bright light, warmth all year, a fast-draining mineral mix and a drier winter.
Where it grows wild
It grows in spiny forest and bushland on sandy soils near the coast, among other drought-adapted Didiereaceae and euphorbias. Plants stand in full sun with their rosettes above the surrounding scrub.
Wild records are from lowland sites close to sea level; the one herbarium record with an altitude gives about 50 m.
🔒 Growing it like that
The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:
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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 4.0 licence, unmodified.