It is an evergreen succulent plant with short leaves arranged in rosettes 6–12 cm in diameter.

The species subdivides and offsets readily; in the wild it forms large clumps.

It is popular as a house plant, due to its resistance to drought and general hardiness.

radula – hankey dwarf aloe (previously considered a separate species), which has longer, more elongated, scabrid leaves than the type H. attenuata var.

They like bright light, but too much direct sunlight can cause leaves to turn white or yellow.