Aloes are very popular and some of the most rewarding plants to cultivate. They make excellent accent plants owing to their often strange and inspiring architectures, as well as the bright flowers that offset the grey-green leaves. They are also very suitable as container plants and small aloes can be used very effectively as border plants at the edge of a bed. Although aloes are most often included in rockeries, their application in horticulture is not limited to this feature and they can be used in almost any setting and in conjunction with most common garden plants. Their natural adaptation to harsh and often arid climates makes aloes outstanding subjects for the water-wise garden. Aloe is a genus in the Asphodeloideae family containing about 600 species of flowering succulent plants. Aloes are sometimes confused with Agaves. Contrarily to Agaves, Aloe leaves contain a gel like sap. Another difference is that Aloes don’t die after blooming as most Agaves do.

Aloe conifera is a superb, mid-sized aloe native to the rocky slopes on the dry, high plateau from 1300 to 1500 m in eastern central Madagascar. It holds many pale blue leaves that have a pink tinge and are armed with reddish thorns along their margins. The inflorescence is an unbranched spike that stands well above the leaves and holds many densely set, yellow flowers. In cultivation it is best suited to warm temperate climates.