From the Cape Province of South Africa, Aloe Ferox is a large solitary trunked Aloe to 12 feet high with five foot wide rosettes. It sometimes branches and these branches can be used as cuttings. It's leaves are a blue grey with hard reddish brown teeth on the front sides and back giving it a fierce look (I think ferox is Greek for fierce). The lower leaves die and dry out as it grows, the plant seem to be wearing a grass skirt. It produces stalk of bright orange flowers in late winter to early spring. The sap and juice is traditionally used for medicinal purposes.
     This one is just a pup about 8 inches across. I've had it out of the greenhouse for a month and it's allready nicelly green and lost it's winter red. Years ago I was at Tohono Chul Park and saw one of these in about a 24 inch pot. It was about 6 feet tall and 4 feet around. Too bad I don't have a picture. I think that's how I'll try to grow this one. The picture below was taken at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix in April 2006. It may or may not be an Aloe ferox, but illustrates the grass skirt affect.