Short-leaf Aloe was winner of the RHS Garden Award of Merit in 2002 for being one of the first aloes to be successfully cultivated in Europe. As the name implies, this aloe has very short stubby leaves. The leaves are thick and triangular with white spines on the leaf margins and along the center of the lower surface. The foliage can be quite colorful, in shadier locations it appears blue green, with more sun the leaves become pink, gold and reddish brown. The leaves form decorative three inch wide rosettes and cluster together form a dense mound of rosettes up to about a foot tall. Orange flower spikes up to 24 inches tall appear in spring. It prefers a dry sunny location, and will only tolerate temperatures to about 25°F. It would look lovely in a garden during the warm summer months, it is a tender perennial and will need winter in a cool or frost-free greenhouse for the winter. In warmer climates it could be used as a groundcover.