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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 slender, those of the Aloe polyphylla species, pictured on our homepage, are fatter and tightly set, forming one of many examples in nature of a near-perfect spiral. Commonly called spiral aloe, it's a desired 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 surrounded by South Africa.
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