Aloe vaombe aka Malagasy Tree Aloe

Aloe vaombe, or Malagasy tree aloe, comes from southern Madagascar. It is part of the Asphodelaceae family. This evergreen succulent grows as a shrub or tree. In the wild, it lives in thickets and on rock faces. Its tropical home has a dry season. It also grows in the island's dry, thorny scrub. Its species name comes from the local name “vahombre.”

The plant has one upright stem with no branches. Garden plants reach about 12 feet (3.7 metres) or more. Botanical accounts give a greater height of 16.4 feet (5 metres). The stem can reach 0.7 feet (0.2 metres) across. One large rosette, or ring of leaves, crowns the stem. This leaf head can span 5 feet (1.5 metres). The long, fleshy leaves are smooth and green. They bend back, with white teeth along their edges. Each leaf has a curved, cup-like cross section. Cold or strong sun can turn the leaves deep red.

Deep red flowers have a tube shape. They grow on upright, branched racemes, or flower stalks. Chicago Botanic Garden gives a bloom time of November through February. The flowers draw bees and birds. The garden notes that butterflies visit and deer tend to resist it. Its upright form suits beds and borders. It also works as a plant grown on its own for show. The broad leaf head gives the plant a strong shape. Both the leaves and flowers add color to warm gardens.

Full sun suits this aloe best, though it tolerates light shade. Once plants take root well, they need little water. They can also cope with drought. Regular watering can help plants grow faster and look fuller. It grows well in limestone soil. Chicago Botanic Garden lists USDA zones 9–11 and favors frost-free sites. It says cold below 25°F can kill plants grown outdoors. Useful Tropical Plants warns that frost can cause severe harm below freezing. The accounts differ, but both show little tolerance for cold.

People gather wild plants for local use as medicine. They dry the leaf exudate, or fluid the leaves release. They trade it both locally and overseas. In traditional use, people steep leaves to treat yellow fever. They also put leaf juice on skin lesions. These uses do not prove that the treatments are safe. Useful Tropical Plants reports tests of leaf extracts that showed biological activity. It lists no known food uses for this species.