Aloes are very popular and some of the most rewarding plants to cultivate. They make excellent accent plants owing to their often strange and inspiring architectures, as well as the bright flowers that offset the grey-green leaves. They are also very suitable as container plants and small aloes can be used very effectively as border plants at the edge of a bed. Although aloes are most often included in rockeries, their application in horticulture is not limited to this feature and they can be used in almost any setting and in conjunction with most common garden plants. Their natural adaptation to harsh and often arid climates makes aloes outstanding subjects for the water-wise garden. Aloe is a genus in the Asphodeloideae family containing about 600 species of flowering succulent plants. Aloes are sometimes confused with Agaves. Contrarily to Agaves, Aloe leaves contain a gel like sap. Another difference is that Aloes don’t die after blooming as most Agaves do.

Aloe falcata, commonly known as Vanrhynsdorp Aloe, is a summer-flowering aloe that has become a popular subject for dry gardens. Aloe falcata is a low-growing aloe that forms a dense, compact clump, with the rosette of leaves often pointing outwards. The plants almost appear as if they are lying slightly on their sides. The leaves are relatively smooth, but the margins of the leaves have small, sharp thorns on them. The leaves have an almost bluish hue. The inflorescence is branched-sometimes up to a dozen flower spikes can be seen emerging from the crown. The flower spikes are erect in their growth form. Flower colour ranges from dull, brick-red to pinky red. Pure yellow flowers are very rarely seen. What makes this particular aloe interesting is the fact that it flowers during the hottest and driest part of the year-December and January. Aloe falcata has a relatively small distribution in the winter rainfall area of South Africa. It occurs in the north-western section of the Western Cape just north of Klawer, and proceeds north to the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape. It is used to extreme heat (above 40°C), but it can survive in relatively low temperatures (-3°C). The plant appears to have a wide tolerance of habitats, and is found in red Kalahari sands, on dry stony slopes or sandy flats.