Aloe excelsa
Encyclopedia
Aloe excelsa, also known as the Zimbabwe Aloe is an arborescent
aloe
. It has attracted the attention of gardeners and parks planners for its imposing appearance and tolerance for a wide range of conditions.
In its natural habitat, it thrives best when given plenty of water during its growing season but requires a sharp dry period with cooler conditions when the impressive flowers appear.
Aloe is a large aloe that reaches tree dimensions of 5-6 metres, although 3 metres is a common height. It is single-stemmed and all but the lowest part of the trunk is swathed in the remains of dead leaves. The leaves form a compact rosette at the top, spreading becoming recurved and up to 1 metre long. They are dark green in summer and succulent, up to 3 cm thick at the centre.
where it has attracted much attention for its size and shape. It grows well in localities favoured with good drainage and moderately stable soils such as rocky, wooded hillsides. It is found over a relatively small area of south-central Africa from the Magato mountains in Limpopo
province of South Africa
at its southern limit northwards along the southern side of the central watershed of Zimbabwe and extending into hilly locations on the south side of the Zambezi river in Mozambique
, with two outlying populations forming its northern limits around Mulanje
mountain in Malawi
and in the Kafue Gorge just across the Zambezi river in Zambia
.
It is restricted by too much heat in the dry season to the north and cold winds in the winter season to the south. It tolerates light frost during its resting (and flowering) season which occurs occasionally at its favoured altitudes of 800-1600 metres.
Arborescent
Arborescent is a term used by the French thinkers Deleuze and Guattari to characterize thinking marked by insistence on totalizing principles, binarism and dualism...
aloe
Aloe
Aloe , also Aloë, is a genus containing about 500 species of flowering succulent plants. The most common and well known of these is Aloe vera, or "true aloe"....
. It has attracted the attention of gardeners and parks planners for its imposing appearance and tolerance for a wide range of conditions.
In its natural habitat, it thrives best when given plenty of water during its growing season but requires a sharp dry period with cooler conditions when the impressive flowers appear.
Appearance
The ZimbabweZimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
Aloe is a large aloe that reaches tree dimensions of 5-6 metres, although 3 metres is a common height. It is single-stemmed and all but the lowest part of the trunk is swathed in the remains of dead leaves. The leaves form a compact rosette at the top, spreading becoming recurved and up to 1 metre long. They are dark green in summer and succulent, up to 3 cm thick at the centre.
Distribution
The Zimbabwe aloe is named for the large number of specimens founds growing around the ruins of Great ZimbabweGreat Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is a ruined city that was once the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, which existed from 1100 to 1450 C.E. during the country’s Late Iron Age. The monument, which first began to be constructed in the 11th century and which continued to be built until the 14th century, spanned an...
where it has attracted much attention for its size and shape. It grows well in localities favoured with good drainage and moderately stable soils such as rocky, wooded hillsides. It is found over a relatively small area of south-central Africa from the Magato mountains in Limpopo
Limpopo
Limpopo is the northernmost province of South Africa. The capital is Polokwane, formerly named Pietersburg. The province was formed from the northern region of Transvaal Province in 1994, and initially named Northern Transvaal...
province of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
at its southern limit northwards along the southern side of the central watershed of Zimbabwe and extending into hilly locations on the south side of the Zambezi river in Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, with two outlying populations forming its northern limits around Mulanje
Mulanje
Mulanje is a town in the Southern Region of Malawi close to the border of Mozambique. It is near the Mulanje Massif.Mulanje is the headquarters of the conservation group, the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust....
mountain in Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
and in the Kafue Gorge just across the Zambezi river in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
.
It is restricted by too much heat in the dry season to the north and cold winds in the winter season to the south. It tolerates light frost during its resting (and flowering) season which occurs occasionally at its favoured altitudes of 800-1600 metres.