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A handsome aloe with tightly packed yellow flowers that mature to an alluring scarlet or deep orange, forming beautiful, breathtaking, bottlebrush inflorescences in winter.
Aloe rupestris plants usually stand tall on single-stemmed trunks 46 m tall, but can reach heights of over 8 m, when the specimen grows in and amongst other shrubs that offer structural support. Smooth, dull green leaves are simple, lance-like, spreading to carried vertically where it somewhat droops towards the tips. The leaves are grooved to form a U-shape in cross section. Leaf margins are lined with reddish brown, serrated teeth.
The candelabrum inflorescence grows above the rosette of leaves. Flower stems form from the growth point or at the base of leaves toward the top, and carry a branched inflorescence of up to 18 flat-topped, cylindrical flowerheads, each made up of many tightly packed yellow to brownish orange flowers that have bright reddish orange stamens protruding from the mouths. It flowers in late winter to early spring.The seed capsules split in three; seeds are ripe when the seed capsule naturally opens to release seeds
Aloe rupestris can also be found in Swaziland and southern Mozambique. In South Africa, it occurs naturally in the southeastern areas of KwaZulu-Natal. They are commonly found growing in rocky and hilly areas, on ridges and slopes, in bushveld, thicket and coastal sand forests, in frost-free areas. This region experiences hot, rainy summers and mild, frost-free, dry winters.