Aloe polyphylla old fruit capsules

What started off as Aloe polyphylla inflorescences are in picture reduced to dried out racemes of open and empty fruit capsule covers or skins. The last seeds may already have been blown from them to settle somewhere. Some germinate, even grow large as this impressive plant body in the high elevation grassland of Lesotho.

The compact, fortress-like leaf rosette shines modestly, appearing resolute to produce more flowers in the years to come. Often grey green or blue green, the leaves are here olive green where they have not yellowed or blackened at the tips, as soon happens to A. polyphylla leaves. Season, climate, position on the land and genetic plant characteristics may all play a role in the leaf colour. These leaf rosettes may be 60 cm wide, the inflorescences up to 60 cm tall. The five or more spiralling rings of about 15 to 30 broad, nearly triangular, slightly incurving leaves project both elegance and power.

The power of self-defence lies in the pale, short spines and the compact, regularly aligned ranks of armed leaves at the ready like well-armed soldiers. This does not tell the whole story of the plant’s struggle for existence. Safe enough against enemies in nature, the plant suffers in its interactions with humanity, the single species excelling as the great modifier of nature on earth.

Human endeavours like business, industry, farming or human lifestyle development usually ignores nature. Human endeavours such as plant and animal collection, removal and transplanting or other direct plant and animal usage practices focus on the treasures of nature. The negative effects of both these classes of endeavour are invasive. Matters only improve from a third human endeavour, that of conservation slowly spreading into the other endeavours of the species.

The A. polyphylla habitat population wellbeing has these days deteriorated from vulnerable to threatened. It merits human attention (Pooley, et al, 2025; Van Wyk and Smith, 2003; Reynolds, 1974; iNaturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org).