Aloe greatheadii aka Greathead's Aloe

Aloe greatheadii belongs to the Asphodelaceae family. It is a succulent and stays green all year. It grows in parts of southern and south-central Africa. Kew gives its range as southern DR Congo to northern South Africa. Other records place it in Zambia and Zimbabwe. They also list Mozambique, Botswana and Eswatini. It lives in places with a dry season. It grows in stony grassland and open Brachystegia woodland. Records place it at 3,280–4,920 feet [1,000–1,500 metres] above sea level.

The leaves spread outward from a tight rosette, or ring. They reach about 1.3 feet [0.4 metres] long. Their bases can measure 0.4 feet [0.12 metres] across. Some plants have no stem above ground. Others have a thick stem reaching 1 foot [0.3 metres]. Useful Tropical Plants gives a height of 0.7 feet [0.2 metres]. These sizes refer to different plant parts. They do not give a clear garden size range. New shoots often grow from the base, forming small clumps. The plant grows slowly and keeps its leaves year-round.

The species has short, cone-shaped flower clusters called racemes. LLIFLE gives their length as about 0.3 feet [0.09 metres]. Sunbirds and bees visit the flowers and pollinate them. The evidence for this species gives no bloom season. Nor does it give details of fruit or seed. Records chiefly describe its low growth and clump shape.

In gardens, this aloe needs sun and soil that drains well. In the wild, it grows in dry tropical and subtropical regions. The evidence gives no frost limit or watering schedule. People gather wild plants for food and use in folk medicine. The plant can also help restore damaged land. It may mark land where livestock have grazed too much. That link alone does not show that it is invasive.

People eat the flower buds once they have cooked them. They must cook them three times, using fresh water each time. Dried cowpea or pumpkin leaves may add flavour. In folk medicine, people use leaf mixtures to prevent malaria. They also use them as purgatives, to empty the bowels. People put sap on burns, bruises and irritated skin. Reports note sap use for eye complaints and pulp for snakebites. These folk uses do not prove safety or benefit.