Aloe brevifolia (Not Aloe Vera)

A chunky little South African Aloe with long lasting red flowers in early summer. It has pretensions to being hardy (keep it dry and it'll take quite low temperatures) but is probably best out for the summer and in for the winter. An easy house/conservatory plant for a light spot. They only grow to about 6".

Many years ago we were asked by The Body Shop in Littlehampton to supply them with Aloe vera plants for sale in their Visitors Centre that we were much involved with. We had masses sent from a nursery in Denmark. Trouble is they weren't Aloe vera, they were these. We rather liked them (much prettier than Aloe vera) and have done them ever since. That would have been in 1992. Aloe vera is famous for its curative properties (the sap from the leaves relieves the pain on burnt skin for example) but there's a strong suspicion that the curative powers of Aloe vera are shared by all the Aloes.

Propagated by us from division.