Aloe dichotoma
Quiver tree
Family AsphodelaceaeAlso called Kokerboom
About
The quiver tree, now Aloidendron dichotomum (formerly Aloe dichotoma), is a tall branching tree succulent of the Northern Cape and southern Namibia.
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
- Not recorded.
- Light
- Full sun.
- Water
- Very little water, given mainly in winter; curled, dying leaf tips indicate it is too dry.
- Soil
- Extremely well-drained coarse mineral sand, ideally with a little loam.
- Growth rate
- Slow.
Field notes
Morphology
A tree-like succulent whose stems fork repeatedly into two, giving a rounded crown.
Distribution & habitat
Northern Cape province of South Africa and southern Namibia. Natural stands include the Quiver Tree Forest near Keetmanshoop and Gannabos in the Northern Cape.
Cultivation notes
Used in landscaping in arid regions but slow, rare and fairly hard to keep outside its habitat. Needs very free-draining coarse mineral sand, full sun, good air flow and very little water, mostly in winter. Leaf tips curl and die back if too dry. Prone to aphids and insects between the leaves.
History & etymology
The San people, who call it choje, hollowed its tubular branches to make arrow quivers, hence the English name. Dichotomum refers to the forking stems.
Conservation
Declining across much of its range, and models predict further range loss from climate change.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- South Africa, Namibia
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- difficult
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Crossed A. dichotoma with another species?Register the cross. If it's not documented yet you'll be the first contributor; if someone already registered it, you'll be taken there to add your photo.