Aloe broomii (Berg alwyn)

Aloe broomii Schönland

Berg alwyn, mountain aloe, snake aloe

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Liliidae	Includes lilies, orchids, and many others
Order	Asparagales	A diverse group that includes asparagus
Family	Xanthorrhoeaceae	Aloes, many tropical plants, flax lilies, daylilies, many others
Genus	Aloe	Means “goddess” in ancient Sanskrit, for its reputed use as a beauty aid; some sources suggest that the name comes from Alloeh, meaning “shining bitter substance”
Species	broomii	Named for anthropologist Robert Broom

About plant names...

This aloe is a native of southern Africa, and it is not found in the wild in North America.

Identification: The rosette of spiky, thick leaves that are characteristic of all aloes is on a short stem or on the ground. Leaves reach a height of 12" (30 cm); if you include the flower spike, the height can reach 5' (1.5 m). Leaves are green, with reddish brown teeth along the margins. The large flowerhead, up to 5' (1.5 m) and 2½" (7 cm) around, is unusual in that the flowers remain entirely covered by bracts, the specialized leaves that form the buds. Only the stamens and stigmas stick out, and those only along a narrow band of the flowerhead at a time. The orange “flowers” aren’t flowers at all! See the Aloe comparison table.

Online References:

Aloe broomii on the South African National Biodiversity Institute's web site, plantzafrica.com

Aloe broomii on

Aloe broomii on Succulents.co.za

Aloe broomii on www.made-in-afrika.com

Aloe broomii on Wikipedia

Aloe broomii on Wikimedia Commons

Aloe broomii description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

The pink flowers are not part of the aloe. · 9/7/2010 · Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston, Massachusetts
≈ 21 × 24" (52 × 60 cm)

Range: Zones 9b-11:

About this map...