Aloe perfoliata, Mitre Aloe, is a tough sprawling Aloe from the Western and Northern Cape provinces of South Africa with toothy foliage and a distinctive prostrate habit. It grows upright at first, clumping and branching from the stem and the taller stems then lean over under their own weight and grow along the ground.

Sometimes found listed under its old synonym Aloe mitriformis, Aloe perfoliata is a valuable no-fuss addition to any Aloe collection and in the UK is best treated as a houseplant or conservatory plant. Although cold-tolerant and capable of withstanding sub-zero temperatures down to about -4C, it is not fully hardy in all areas of Great Britain. If you live in a favourably warm area and have a suitably dry microclimate, you could experiment with this outdoors once you have rooted a good reserve of stem cuttings. Like all desert plants it needs excellent drainage and must be kept dry throughout the winter. Outdoors it needs a sheltered aspect - preferably under overhanging protection - and a thick gravel mulch. You could also try it under a rain-shelter. Otherwise, keep it indoors where it looks stunning sprawling around in a large terracotta container.