About
Aloe ballyi, the rat aloe, is a rare tall aloe from the Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania, unusual in the genus for being poisonous.
Care at a glance
- Pet safety
- Not recorded. We have no source on whether this plant is safe for cats, dogs or other pets — that is not the same as safe. Keep it out of reach until you have checked.
- People
- Reported to be poisonous, unlike most aloes.
- Mature size
- Stems up to about 6 m tall.
Field notes
Morphology
Slender stems reach up to 6 m. The long, narrow leaves are mostly straight, curving slightly at the tips, and old leaves drop quickly rather than clinging to the stem. Flowers are only slightly tubular, with segments joined for a third of their length.
Distribution & habitat
Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania, growing in bushland among acacias and other succulents.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- Kenya, Tanzania
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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