Aloidendron dichotomum

Aloidendron dichotomum, commonly known as the quiver tree and in Afrikaans as the kokerboom (quiver tree), is a thickset tree aloe reaching heights from 3 m to 5 m, occasionally 7 m (SA Tree List No. 29). The quiver tree in flower stands out as an unusual sighting in its arid land home. The name quiver tree is derived from the Bushmen or San people fashioning quivers for their arrows from the soft stems of these trees.

And yes, for those that admire them, they can be planted in parks and gardens where the drainage is sufficient. Other small and big matters of soil, temperature and rainfall also merit consideration. Heed the species guidelines and limits regarding the outdoor options to avoid loss and disappointment involving the art of the possible.

Here, in the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden at Worcester, aloe royalty, be they Aloe or Aloidendron species, thrive and flower in winter with the locals of the tribe, particularly Aloe microstigma.

The smooth quiver tree stem with its bicolour patches of old and young bark forms an interesting yellow-grey pattern. The edges where the patches meet may have blade-like sharp margins, so beware. 

The species distribution is in the Northern Cape, slightly into the far north of the Western Cape and also in southern Namibia. This tree aloe doesn't grow in the Namib and Kalahari.

The habitat is desert and semi-desert areas on rocky slopes, often dolomite, among scrub and succulents. The plant is usually the tallest of the sparse vegetation in its natural neighbourhood, and unlike the rest of them in size and shape. The rainfall here is low, received in winter. The habitat population is considered vulnerable early in the twenty first century, due to trampling by livestock, harvesting of the plants, and these days... climate change (Frandsen, 2017; Smith, 2017; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Gericke, 2003; iNaturalist; https://redlist.sanbi.org).