Aloe excelsa var. excelsa (Zimbabwe aloe)

The species excelsus means “tall” or “high.” This aloe is native to Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, and northwestern South Africa. It is not found in the wild in North America.

Plants: These aloes appear atop trunks 9½–20′ (3–6 m) tall. Dead leaves cover all but the bottom of the trunk.

Leaves: Dark green leaves at the top can reach 3′ (1 m) in length and up to 1″ (3 cm) in thickness.

Flowers: Tall spikes, in groups of 10-15, that are dark red or red-orange. Flowering branches are mostly erect. Flowering is July-September.

Habitats: Wooded grasslands, woodlands, rocky outcrops, from 1476–5249′ (450–1600 m).

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
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	Excelling
var.	excelsa	Excelling

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Range: Zones 9b-11:

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