The genus Aloe and its close relatives — the alooid group — contain over seven hundred species, ranging from rosettes small enough to fit in a teacup to trees that tower eighteen metres above the African savanna. If you have only ever grown Aloe vera, you have barely scratched the surface of one of the most diverse and rewarding succulent lineages on Earth.
This guide introduces twenty species that every grower should know — not an exhaustive list, but a carefully chosen selection covering the full spectrum: compact houseplants, garden workhorses, cold-hardy survivors, spectacular collectors’ rarities and the towering tree aloes. Some are still classified in Aloe; others have been moved to new genera since 2013 but are still universally searched under “aloe.” We include both, with the current accepted names. For the complete care guide on the most popular species, see our How to grow and care for Aloe vera — indoors, outdoors and everything you need to know.
A note on names
Since 2013, the old genus Aloe has been split into seven genera based on molecular phylogenetic evidence. Many species that gardeners still call “aloes” now belong to Aloidendron (tree aloes), Aloiampelos (scrambling aloes), Aristaloe (lace aloe), Gonialoe (tiger aloe), Kumara (fan aloe) or Aloestrela (the Malagasy tree aloe). In this guide, we list the current accepted name first, followed by the old name that you will still encounter in most nurseries and books. The old names are not wrong — they are simply outdated. For the full story of the reclassification, see our alooid genus hub pages.
Compact houseplants and windowsill aloes
1. Aloe vera — the classic
The world’s most grown succulent. Pale green, broad, upright leaves in a stemless rosette to sixty centimetres. Yellow flowers. Gel used for burns. Needs bright direct light — more than most people provide. Hardy to -2 °C (28 °F). The gateway species for millions of growers. For the complete care guide, see our dedicated Aloe vera care complete guide.
2. Aristaloe aristata (formerly Aloe aristata) — the lace aloe
Not actually an aloe — molecular data places it in the haworthioid clade, closer to Astroloba and Tulista than to Aloe vera. A compact rosette (ten to fifteen centimetres) of dark green leaves covered in white tubercles and tipped with soft white bristles. Orange flowers, self-fertile. One of the hardiest alooids in existence — survives -7 to -10 °C (19 to 14 °F). Offsets prolifically. The ideal beginner plant and one of the best alooids for cold-climate gardens.
Visit Aristaloe aristata page, now.
3. Gonialoe variegata (formerly Aloe variegata) — the tiger aloe
Stiff, triangular leaves in three perfect vertical ranks, each painted with irregular white bands on dark green — the “tiger stripes” that give it its name. One of the oldest succulents in European cultivation (1695). The Afrikaners call it “kanniedood” — cannot die. Tolerates bright light to moderate shade. Pink flowers on a tall stalk. A winter-grower — water more in autumn/winter. Twenty to thirty centimetres tall.
To learn more about Gonialoe variegata, click here.
4. Aloe brevifolia — the short-leaved aloe
Tight, compact rosettes (ten to fifteen centimetres) of short, broad, blue-grey leaves with white marginal teeth. Forms dense, low clusters that look like a miniature succulent carpet. Orange-red flowers. Native to the Western Cape. One of the most architectural small aloes for bright windowsills and rockeries. Hardy to -3 °C (27 °F).
Learn more about Aloe brevifolia.
5. Aloe humilis — the hedgehog aloe
A small, heavily armed rosette — pale blue-green leaves densely covered in soft white spines, giving the plant a hedgehog-like appearance. Rosettes barely ten centimetres across, clustering into dense mounds. Orange-red flowers on tall scapes. Native to the Eastern Cape. Extremely drought-tolerant. Hardy to approximately -5 °C (23 °F) — surprisingly tough for such a small plant.
Visit the page of Aloe humilis.
6. Aloe juvenna — the tiger-tooth aloe
A small, columnar-growing aloe from Kenya — stacked triangular leaves with raised white teeth along the margins, forming a compact column of ten to fifteen centimetres. The leaves develop attractive reddish-brown stress colouration in bright light. Offsets freely, forming dense clusters. An excellent, easy houseplant that tolerates a wide range of conditions. Not frost-hardy — minimum 5 °C (41 °F).
Learn botany and cultivation of Aloe juvenna, here.
Garden workhorses — medium-sized aloes for landscaping
7. Aloe arborescens — the torch aloe
The second most widely cultivated aloe species after Aloe vera — and in Mediterranean climates, the more useful garden plant. A large, multi-stemmed shrub reaching two to three metres, with narrow, curved, dark green leaves and spectacular scarlet-red winter flowers that attract birds from across the neighbourhood. Widely grown in Italy and Japan for its gel (considered superior by some herbalists). Hardy to -4 to -5 °C (23 to 25 °F) — significantly tougher than Aloe vera. The best aloe for Mediterranean hedges, banks and coastal gardens.
Learn more about Aloe arborescens.
8. Aloe maculata (formerly Aloe saponaria) — the soap aloe
A flat, spreading rosette of broad, pale green leaves with prominent white spots on both surfaces — the most heavily spotted of the common aloes. Orange to red flowers on branched inflorescences. Named “soap aloe” because the sap lathers when mixed with water. Extremely tough, fast-growing, offsets aggressively and tolerates a wide range of soils and climates. Hardy to -5 to -7 °C (23 to 19 °F). One of the most reliable aloes for temperate gardens. Often confused with Aloe vera in nurseries.
Click here to learn more about Aloe maculata.
9. Aloe striata — the coral aloe
A smooth, elegant rosette of broad, flat, blue-grey leaves with a distinctive coral-pink margin — no teeth, no spines, just a clean, coloured edge. One of the most refined-looking aloes in cultivation. Flat-topped, branched inflorescences of coral-orange flowers in late winter. Stemless, to forty centimetres across. Native to the Eastern Cape. Hardy to approximately -5 °C (23 °F). An outstanding specimen plant.
10. Aloe cameronii — the red aloe
A medium-sized, branching aloe from Zimbabwe and Mozambique that turns a stunning deep coppery red in bright, dry conditions — one of the most vivid stress-colouration displays of any succulent. In shade or wet conditions, the leaves revert to green. Orange-red flowers in winter. Reaches about one metre. A favourite of succulent landscapers in California and Australia for its dramatic colour. Hardy to approximately -3 °C (27 °F).
To learn more abour Aloe cameronii, follow this link.
Cold-hardy aloes — survivors for frost-prone gardens
11. Aloiampelos striatula (formerly Aloe striatula) — the hardy aloe
The most cold-hardy alooid in existence. A scrambling, multi-stemmed shrub from the mountain highlands of the Eastern Cape and Lesotho, where it grows in the winter snow belt. Shiny, dark green leaves with longitudinally striped sheaths. Orange flowers. Survives -10 to -12 °C (14 to 10 °F) — making it a realistic prospect for USDA zones 7b–8, coastal UK gardens and the Pacific Northwest. Forms dense, sprawling clumps used as hedges in Lesotho. The aloe for people who thought aloes were impossible in their climate.
12. Aloe polyphylla — the spiral aloe
The most coveted aloe in the world — and one of the most difficult. A stemless rosette of grey-green leaves arranged in a perfect Fibonacci spiral, either clockwise or anticlockwise. The spiral is mathematical, mesmerising and unforgettable. Native to the mountains of Lesotho at over 2 000 metres, where it grows in cool, moist grassland with excellent air circulation. Hardy to approximately -10 to -12 °C (14 to 10 °F) — but utterly intolerant of hot, humid summers. Fails in most lowland gardens. Succeeds in cool-summer climates: Scotland, Pacific Northwest, Tasmania, New Zealand. Not a houseplant. Not a beginner plant. But if you can grow it, nothing in the succulent world compares.
13. Aloe striatula var. caesia — see #11 above (Aloiampelos striatula)
The glaucous-leaved variety of the hardy aloe — even more attractive than the typical form, with blue-grey leaves. Same extraordinary hardiness.
The big aloes — statement plants for large gardens
14. Aloe ferox — the Cape aloe / bitter aloe
A single-stemmed aloe reaching two to three metres, with a dense rosette of thick, spiny, grey-green to reddish leaves and a spectacular candelabra inflorescence of bright orange-red flowers that can reach one metre tall. The commercial source of “Cape aloe” bitter crystals (dried latex) — a traditional laxative. Native to South Africa (widespread from the Western Cape to KwaZulu-Natal). A magnificent garden specimen in frost-free climates. Hardy to approximately -3 °C (27 °F).
15. Aloe marlothii — the mountain aloe
A tall, single-stemmed aloe reaching four to six metres, with broad, heavily armed, grey-green leaves and a massive, multi-branched, horizontal inflorescence of orange to yellow flowers — the flower display is one of the most impressive in the entire aloe family. Dead leaves persist on the trunk, forming a protective “skirt.” Native to southern and eastern Africa. A landscape focal point of the highest order. Hardy to approximately -4 °C (25 °F).
16. Aloe speciosa — the tilt-head aloe
A single-stemmed aloe to six metres, with the rosette tilting to one side at maturity — always leaning toward the north (in the southern hemisphere) to maximise sun exposure. This consistent tilt gives the plant a distinctive, almost animal-like posture. Blue-green leaves. Dense, conical inflorescences of pale greenish-white flowers with red-tipped buds. Native to the Eastern Cape. Hardy to approximately -3 °C (27 °F). An extraordinary specimen for Mediterranean gardens.
The tree aloes — living monuments
17. Aloidendron dichotomum (formerly Aloe dichotoma) — the quiver tree
The most iconic succulent in Africa. A forking, dichotomously branching tree to nine metres, with a smooth, pale trunk covered in flaking bark, tipped with rosettes of blue-grey leaves. Yellow flowers. Native to the Richtersveld desert (South Africa/Namibia). The San people hollowed out its branches to make arrow quivers. Now a flagship species for climate change research — its populations are retreating from the hotter parts of its range. Hardy to -5 to -7 °C (23 to 19 °F) — the hardiest tree aloe.
18. Aloidendron barberae (formerly Aloe barberae / Aloe bainesii) — the eastern tree aloe
Africa’s largest alooid — a genuine tree reaching fifteen to eighteen metres with a trunk diameter approaching one metre. Forking branches, smooth grey bark, dark green recurved leaves, salmon-pink winter flowers. Native to subtropical coastal forests from the Eastern Cape to Mozambique. Propagated from large stem cuttings (truncheons). Hardy to -2 to -3 °C (28 to 27 °F). A living sculpture that takes decades to build.
Collectors’ favourites — unusual forms
19. Kumara plicatilis (formerly Aloe plicatilis) — the fan aloe
One of the most architecturally striking succulents in existence: forking branches tipped with flat fans of grey-green, tongue-shaped leaves arranged in two opposite ranks — like the pages of an open book. A dichotomously branching shrub or small tree to five metres. Scarlet flowers at the end of winter. Native to the Western Cape fynbos — the oldest named genus in the alooid group (Medikus 1786). A winter-grower that thrives in cool-summer Mediterranean climates (San Francisco, coastal UK, Portugal) and struggles in hot, humid summers. Hardy to -4 to -5 °C (23 to 25 °F).
20. Aloe rauhii — the snowflake aloe
A miniature Malagasy aloe — compact rosettes barely ten centimetres across, with dark green leaves densely covered in white spots and flecks that give the plant a frosted, snowflake-like appearance. Grows in the spiny forests of southern Madagascar. Offsets freely. Pink flowers. One of the most beautiful small aloes for collections and terrariums. Not frost-hardy (minimum 5 °C / 41 °F) — strictly an indoor or greenhouse plant in temperate climates. The cultivar ‘Snowflake’ is particularly striking.
How to choose: a quick decision guide
I want the easiest possible plant: Aloe vera (#1) if you have bright sun; Aristaloe aristata (#2) if you want something hardier and more shade-tolerant.
I want an aloe for a cold-winter garden: Aloiampelos striatula (#11, -10/-12 °C) or Aristaloe aristata (#2, -7/-10 °C). If you have cool summers: Aloe polyphylla (#12).
I want a Mediterranean garden showpiece: Aloe arborescens (#7) for hedges and banks, Aloe ferox (#14) or Aloe marlothii (#15) for tall specimens, Aloe striata (#9) for elegance.
I want dramatic colour: Aloe cameronii (#10, deep red in sun).
I want something architectural and unusual: Kumara plicatilis (#19, fan leaves), Aloe polyphylla (#12, spiral), Aloidendron dichotomum (#17, quiver tree).
I want a tiny collector’s gem: Aloe rauhii (#20, snowflake miniature), Gonialoe variegata (#3, tiger stripes), Aloe brevifolia (#4, blue-grey compact).
I want a tree aloe: Aloidendron dichotomum (#17) for desert landscapes, Aloidendron barberae (#18) for subtropical gardens. Both require patience measured in decades.
Beyond twenty: where to go next
Twenty species barely scratches the surface. The genus Aloe alone contains over five hundred accepted species — and the alooid group adds another two hundred from Haworthia, Haworthiopsis, Gasteria, Tulista, Astroloba and the other genera covered on our site. If this guide has sparked your interest, explore our genus hub pages — each one covers taxonomy, all accepted species, cultivation and the resources you need to go deeper:
Aloe (500+ species) — Gasteria (24 species) — Haworthia (40+ species) — Haworthiopsis (18 species) — Tulista (4 species) — Astroloba (12 species) — Aloidendron (6 species) — Aloiampelos (7 species) — Aristaloe (1 species) — Gonialoe (3 species) — Kumara (2 species) — Aloestrela (1 species).
Our site offers care guides, species profiles and taxonomic references for every alooid genus. Start wherever your curiosity takes you.