Aloe erinacea

One of the plant kingdom's most amazing specimens is the A. erinacea, a plant that grows into huge clusters, even in the most extreme of the country's habitats of the southern Namib Desert. In particular they favour the eastern slopes as opposed to western locations of inselbergs and mountains, because of the regular moisture from drizzle and fog. The localities of the few small colonies are not public knowledge.

A. erinacea means hedgehog, an accurate indication of their appearance. Plants do flower regularly, but not before inquisitive rock dassies have destroyed them before the seeds can disperse. Adaptation away form their natural habitat is possible, but success has been limited.