Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: somerblom-aalwyn, Gerstner's aloe, isiHlabane

Family: Asphodelaceae

Distribution: KwaZulu-Natal

Habitat: Near streams in rocky grasslands

National red list: Endangered

Life form: Succulent plant

Comments: This range-restricted aloe is endemic to a small area in the KZN highlands, where it grows near streams in rocky grasslands. Much of its habitat has been irreversibly transformed due to expanding settlements. Although not commonly grazed itself, overgrazing in its habitat has caused extreme erosion and led to population decline. Aloe gerstneri is named after the Rev. J. Gerstner who first discovered it in 1931.