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Black Thorn Aloe

Aloe melanacantha

Also called Small Mountain Aloe

Black Thorn Aloe
Photo: Abu Shawka, CC BY-SA 4.0

Aloe melanacantha is a rare, small succulent aloe from the arid Namaqualand region of western South Africa, growing in dry shrubland and rocky ground. Treat it like other desert aloes: give it bright light, fast-draining soil and very sparing water.

Family
Asphodelaceae (Aloe family)
Grows as
Succulent
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry out completely between waterings, and water less in winter.
Soil
Gritty, fast-draining cactus or succulent mix with extra sand or grit.
Temperature
15–35 °C; protect below 5 °C
How easy
Easy
Native range
W. Cape Prov.
Climate
desert or dry shrubland

About

Aloe melanacantha (locally known as the goree) is a rare species of succulent plant in the family Asphodelaceae, from the arid Namaqualand areas of the western part of South Africa.

Where it grows

It is endemic to the Namaqualand, in the far west of South Africa. It has been recorded from Nieuwoudtville in the south, as far north as the Orange River on the Namibian border. Its natural habitats are dry shrubland and rocky areas.

Other Aloe plants

Aloe aaata · Aloe aageodonta · Aloe abyssicola · Tent Cent Aloe · Spotted Aloe · African Aloe · White Grass Aloe · Aloe albiflora · Aldabra Aloe · Aloe ambigens · Aloe andongensis · Wylliespoort Aloe

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Aloe melanacantha by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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