Aloe cooperi

    Botanical name Aloe cooperi
    Other names Isiputumane (Zulu)
    Family Asphodelaceae
    Dimensions
    Description of stem Stemless or short-stemmed
    Description of leaves Light green leaves may have a few white spots near the base on the upper surface whilst the lower surface is generally spotted near the base; the leaves are arranged fanlike, only in mature plants sometimes becoming a rosette; the leaf is normally markedly keeled; only the edges have teeth
    Description of flowers Single, conical raceme with pink, cerise, light yellow or occasionally red flowers in summer; the perianth is pendulous once open; bracts noticeable around the base of the pedicel
    Desciption of seed/fruit
    Description of roots
    Variation Grows bigger in more conducive climatic zones of its natural distribution; variations tarkaensis and broomii have been described
    Propagation and cultivation Attractive rock garden plant for also harsher climates
    Tolerances
    Uses A garden plant; the young leaves and flowers are cooked as a vegetable; there is a report that horses given some of the boiled leaf juice to drink become rid of ticks (www.plantzafrica.com)
    Ecological rarity Well represented in its distribution area
    Pests and diseases Snout beetle, white scale and fungus
    Other
    Location Coastal and inland hills, high (summer) rainfall areas
    Distribution (SA provinces) Mpumalanga, Kwazulu-Natal
    Country South Africa, Swaziland