Eastern Tree Aloe

The tree aloe's habitat is subtropical coastal forests, kloofs (ravines) and dry valleys in the eastern regions of southern Africa. Aloidendron barberae is widely distributed from the Eastern Cape through KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini and Mpumalanga; and northwards to Mozambique and East Africa.

Aloidendron barberae forms a striking focal point in the garden, being an enormous sculptural tree with a neat crown. A specimen planted at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden in Cape Town in 1922 had by 2011 grown to have a basal diameter (not girth) of 3 m (9.8 ft). It is easily propagated, especially by cuttings (truncheons) which should be left to dry for a week or two before planting. It prefers well-drained soil, especially on a slope, and can tolerate some shade when small. It should not be planted in between buildings or in spots where its roots will be constrained, as its trunk and roots need to expand and spread.

Hybrids and cultivars. Several hybrid varieties have been created between this species and its relative Aloidendron dichotomum (the quiver tree) and, more rarely, with Aloe species. These all tend to be more short and compact than pure A. barberae. Some of the more popular hybrids include:

'Hercules' (A. barberae × dichotoma), the most common hybrid, with golden-grey trunk, and compact grey leaves. 'Rex' (A. barberae × dichotoma), a fast-growing cultivar developed in Swellendam, which has a grey trunk, and more slender grey-green leaves with pink teeth. Seed parent is dichotoma. 'Goliath' (A. barberae × Aloe vaombe), a very fast-growing top-heavy hybrid, with a slender trunk and an enormous head of massive rubbery dark-green leaves. 'Nick Deinhart' (A. …