Species · genus Aloe · Asphodelaceae

Mitra Aloe

Aloe perfoliata L.

Growth habit

succulent shrub

Native range

Cape Provinces, Namibia

Aloe perfoliata — reference photo — F.B. Vietz · Public domain

Cultivars of A. perfoliata

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under A. perfoliata yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A rosette-forming aloe

Aloe perfoliata, also known by the synonym Aloe mitriformis, is a rosette-forming succulent grown as a houseplant. Its fleshy, spiny, mid-green leaves take on red tones when the plant is under stress, and mature specimens can send up clusters of tubular red flowers on upright stems in winter.

Source: RHS

A Cape native, formally named

This plant's natural range lies in South Africa's Cape region. The name Aloe perfoliata was first published by Linnaeus in 1753, though botanical authorities now treat it as a synonym of Aloe microstigma, while a related name, Aloe perfoliata var. vera, is instead folded into Aloe vera.

Source: Kew

Sun, sparing water, summer feeding

Give this aloe full sun and a well-drained, loam-based or cacti potting compost, ideally with added horticultural grit. Water moderately while it is in growth and very sparingly once dormant in winter, and feed monthly with a general liquid fertiliser from May to August. It can be moved outdoors for the summer months.

Source: RHS

Seed or offsets

Propagate by sowing seed as soon as it is ripe, or by separating offsets in spring or early summer. Root the offsets in cactus potting compost.

Source: RHS

Modest indoors, sprawling in the wild

In tropical conditions this aloe can develop stems several metres long with leaves reaching 45cm, but as a houseplant it is unlikely to exceed 50cm in height. It forms clumps of evergreen, fleshy rosettes and carries its winter flowers on upright stems above the foliage.

Source: RHS

Scale and mealybug watch

Keep an eye out for scale insects and mealybugs, the two pests most likely to trouble this aloe. Otherwise it is generally free of disease.

Source: RHS

Little pruning needed

This aloe asks for no pruning. Its main seasonal adjustment is cutting back on water once the plant is dormant through winter.

Source: RHS

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 28 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

7–27 °C

Soil mix

Gritty, fast-draining cactus and succulent mix

Propagation

Offsets or stem cuttings, dried before potting

Fertilizing

Dilute succulent feed once or twice during the growing season

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Coral-red spikes in strong light, uncommon indoors

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Toxic to cats & dogs

Saponins + anthraquinones (the latex) — vomiting, lethargy, diarrhoea. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Mitra Aloe yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.