Aloe excelsa var. excelsa (Zimbabwe aloe)

Aloe excelsa var. excelsa

Zimbabwe 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	excelsa
var.	excelsa

About plant names...

The species excelsus means “tall” or “high.” This aloe is native to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and northwestern South Africa, at elevations of 1476-5249' (450-1600 m). It is not found in the wild in North America.

Identification: These aloes appear atop trunks 9½-20' (3-6 m) tall. Dead leaves cover all but the bottom of the trunk. Dark green leaves at the top can reach 3' (1 m) in length and up to 1" (3 cm) in thickness. Flowers are tall spikes, in groups of 10-15, that are dark red or red-orange. Flowering is July-September.

See the Aloe comparison table.

Online References:

Aloe excelsa var. excelsa in Flora of Zimbabwe

Aloe excelsa var. excelsa on Desert-tropicals.com

Aloe excelsa var. excelsa on Wikipedia

Aloe excelsa var. excelsa on the Red List of South African Plants

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California

Aloe excelsa

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

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, California

Range: Zones 9b-11:

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