Following a formal request by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the appropriateness of the listing of Aloe arborescens Mill. (Asphodelaceae: Alooideae) in Appendix II of this Convention was assessed. As part of this assessment, the threatened (Red Data List) status in South Africa, the country within which it is taxonomically most diverse, was also re-assessed, and available information on formal and informal trade taken into account. Following a synthesis of the information available on A. arborescens, it is proposed that the species and its varieties should remain on CITES Appendix II, as their de-listing carries the risk of other Aloe species being traded under this name. It is retained in the Red Data List category for species of least concern (LC).