Island endemic Arabian aloe with sprawling, hanging or upright stems to about 16 inches long. Suckering habit. Leaves are characteristically recurved, often dramatically, with a rough surface texture, abundant white spots, and marked marginal teeth. Inflorescences are unbranched. Flowers are coral pink, with greenish mouths.

From Socotra, in the Arabian Sea, where it tends to grow on limestone cliffs. This is the only aloe from Socotra with spotted leaves. It is associated with island endemic Dendrosicyos, Dorstenia, and Adenium species. Natural hybrids with A. perryi have been recorded, with gray, spotted leaves.

This plant has an interesting history in botany. The species was originally described from samples collected on Socotra in 1883. Subsequently it was confused with a plant described as A. concinna, a name later found to be invalid and eventually replaced with A. zanzibarica. The epithet zanzibarica is a misnomer because that aloe was never found growing on Zanzibar, only apparently acquired there from a trader. This plant was subsequently shown by Lavranos to be identical to aloes growing on Socotra, and was definitively reduced to a synonym of the much older A. squarrosa.

A number of smallish aloes are mislabeled squarrosa in the trade, including A. juvenna. The easiest way to resolve the true species from the impostors is usually by looking for recurved leaves.

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