xxl Click above for XXL image

Aloe ferox

Bitter Aloe, Red Aloe

A stunning, large Aloe widely distributed in a wide variety of habitats in South Africa and Lesotho. It grows a robust, solitary trunk that can reach more than 3 m tall. The large, succulent, bluish to grayish green leaves form an unbranched rosette. The old leaves stay on the trunk to form a dense skirt below the crown. The stunning, large, branched and short-stalked inflorescence holds many red flowers. In cultivation it is a popular and easy to grow species for the dryish, warm temperate to tropical garden in USDA Zones 9 to 11 that can take drought and some cold with light freezes.

(read all testimonials here)

germination comments by our visitors
For general germination instructions click here.

Also see plant cultivation comments below.

Seeds from this species ...

(...sorry, no comments yet.)

win € 50 worth of seeds

by writing a germination comment about how to germinate the seeds of this species. Click here!

plant cultivation comments by our visitors
Also see germination commnets above.

Plants from this species ...

... have not yet been commented on. Be the first to write a comment:

win € 75 worth of seeds

by writing a plant cultivation comment about how to cultivate the plants of this species. Click here!

If you wish to read more on palm cultivation, we highly recommend Ornamental Palm Horticulture by Timothy K. Broschat and Alan W. Meerow, available in our bookshop.

Ratings and comments reflect individual experiences and the views of our visitors. They do not necessarily describe the most appropriate methods, nor are they necessarily valid for all seeds or plants of this species. Germination and plant cultivation success depends on many different factors; nevertheless, these experiences will hopefully aid you in your effort to get the best germination results from our seeds and the best growth results from your plants.

We recommend:

The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms
by Robert Lee Riffle, Paul Craft, Scott Zona

2nd edition
Completely revised and updated
Hardcover - 528 pages
11 x 8.5 inches

Our rating:

Suitable for: all

The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms is the definitive account of all palms that can be grown for ornamental and economic use. Palms are often underutilized as a result of their unfamiliarity—even to tropical gardeners. To help introduce these valuable plants to a new audience, the authors have exhaustively documented every genus in the palm family.
825 species are described in detail, including cold hardiness, water needs, height, and any special requirements. Generously illustrated with more than 900 photos, including photos of several palm species that have never before appeared in a general encyclopedia, The Encyclopedia of Cultivated Palms is as valuable as an identification guide as it is a practical handbook. Interesting snippets of history, ethnobotany, and biology inform the text and make this a lively catalog of these remarkable plants.

Available at the following book shops:

Other selected books are available in our Book Shop