Spiral aloe
© David Madison/Getty Image
Why, aloe there
Aloes are some of the most splendid succulent plants in nature, coming in many shapes and colours. While the rubbery, gel-filled leaves of most aloe plants are long and tendril-like, those of the pictured Aloe polyphylla species are stout and tightly set, one of many examples in nature of a near-perfect spiral. Commonly called spiral aloe, it's a coveted garden plant with specific growing conditions that make it hard to keep alive. Even in nature, it's rare and native only to the chilly mountains of Lesotho, a tiny kingdom entirely surrounded by South Africa.
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