Aloe rupestris

Aloe rupestris, the bottlebrush aloe previously known as A. nitens, is usually single-stemmed growing tall, from 6 m to 8 m in height (SA Tree List No. 30.3). The plant in picture lives in cultivation in Melbourne, Australia. It has many small shoots at its base, a feature that is known to occur, although branches of the main stem are rare. The upper third of the slender stem below the live leaf rosette disappears under a covering of old leaf remains that are dry and hard.

The species distribution is in KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland and southern Mozambique.

In nature the plant is often found from the coast to mountain slopes up to 1000 m, growing among rocks, woodlands and thickets in warm river valleys. The rainfall in this region is from 625 mm to 750 mm per annum. The region is frost free and day temperatures reach around 38?. The species is not considered threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century. 

These plants need protection from frost. They thrive in alkaline soils; ash and lime additions are useful. A susceptibility to white scale may cause problems (Frandsen, 2017; Van Wyk and Smith, 2003; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993; Reynolds, 1974; Jeppe, 1969; http://redlist.sanbi.org).