Aloe rupestris, the bottle-brush aloe previously known as A. nitens, is usually single-stemmed growing tall, from 6 m to 8 m in height (SA Tree List No. 30.3). This plant in cultivation in Melbourne, Australia has many small shoots at its base, a feature that is known to occur, although branches of the main stem are rare.

Aloe brevifolia is one of the dwarf aloes bearing branching clusters of compact rosettes. The clump that develops from offshoots at the base forms a shallow dome in mature plants that grow well.