[1][2] A succulent, it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

[3] H. hystrix is extensively sold in Zulu markets throughout South Africa for its supposed medicinal and protective magical properties,[4] and in Eswatini as an alleged aphrodisiac.

[5] Extracts from its stem and leaves may contain chemicals with anti-inflammatory properties,[6] It has been proposed as a treatment for people suffering from HIV/AIDS.

[7] It is highly drought-tolerant and grows well in pots, and so is a good species for ornamental xeriscaping.

[9] Researchers at University of KwaZulu-Natal Botanical Garden have discovered multiple shoots can be propagated from a single explant by treatment with Murashige and Skoog medium + 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid + 6-Benzylaminopurine with 95% survival rates.