Aloe ferox is called bitter aloe in its native South Africa. A large plant with broad, bold foliage, bitter aloe has candelabra-like spikes. The spikes have dark reddish orange flowers with golden to white tips that are tightly held against the flowering stem, unlike many of the plant's cousins. The plant's sap is used internally as a laxative and externally as a treatment for skin ailments, similar in use to Aloe vera.

All members of this genus are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This international agreement regulates the international trade in plants and plant products to ensure that harvest activities do not drive the species to extinction.