Aloe macrosiphon

Aloe macrosiphon comes from the tropics of east Africa. It is a succulent, a plant with thick, fleshy leaves. It stays green all year and lives for many years. Its range takes in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. It belongs to the plant family Asphodelaceae. Plants For A Future calls it Tanzanian aloe. Older names include Aloe compacta and Aloe mwanzana. The sources use these names for the same species.

The plant has no stem above the ground. Its leaves form a tight ring, known as a rosette. Some stand upright, while others curve out from the centre. The plant keeps its leaves all year. It sends up new shoots called suckers, which can form large clumps. The sources give no sound size range for full-grown plants. They give no details of this species' leaf colour, teeth, or marks. They do not describe its flowers or fruit. They give no time of year for its blooms.

In the wild, this aloe grows by thickets in grassland. It grows in shade, often among rocks. Records place it about 3,690–5,200 feet [1,125–1,585 metres] above sea level. Kew places it in a tropical climate with a dry season. This tells us about its home in the wild. It does not give a tested plan for garden watering. Plants For A Future lists USDA hardiness zones 9–11. The sources give no UK hardiness rating or exact frost limit. They give no soil pH or garden soil type for this species.

People gather wild plants for use as local remedies. Plants For A Future lists wounds, burns, and other skin problems. It also lists haemorrhoids, sore throats, coughs, and use as a laxative. These reports do not prove that home treatment is safe. Useful Tropical Plants compares its properties with those of Aloe vera. Yet its detailed treatment examples come from that other species. They do not prove this aloe has the same effects.

Neither source names a part to eat or a food use. Plants For A Future warns about excess use as a laxative. This may irritate the organs in the pelvis. The evidence does not show whether this species harms pets. It gives no account of this species' pests or diseases. Plants For A Future does not flag it as weedy. Useful Tropical Plants reports wild crosses with Aloe secundiflora. Its year-round leaf rosettes and clumps give it its form. Few records describe its use in landscape planting.