Botanical name |
Aloe ferox |
Other names |
Bitter aloe; bitteraalwyn (Afrikaans); inhlaba (Zulu); ikhala (Xhosa) |
Family |
Asphodelaceae |
Dimensions |
A single stem aloe, up to 5 m tall in unusually large specimens |
Description of stem |
Tall, unbranched and erect, covered in old dry leaves that hang down |
Description of leaves |
Broad grey-green leaves with sharp spines on the edges, sometimes there are also spines scattered along both leaf surfaces and a distinct row of spines on the keel ridge; leaves may be reddish in dry conditions |
Description of flowers |
Spectacular inflorescence consists of multiply branched upright racemes; flower colour mainly brown-red, but many variations ranging from bright red, orange, yellow and almost white occur, usually in winter, but later in the more northerly parts of the plant's distribution area |
Description of seed/fruit |
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Description of roots |
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Variation |
Flower colour variation; Aloe candelabrum (Kwazulu-Natal) (now also classified as A. ferox) is different in that the leaves recurve and flowers colours may be more brightly red |
Propagation and cultivation |
Transplants easily; grown from seed, lightly covered in well-drained soil, young plants may rot from over-watering, although A. ferox is in general water tolerant; full sun |
Tolerances |
Grows in dry as well as high rainfall areas |
Uses |
An important medicinal plant harvested for, among other things, production of a purgative, applied in the treatment of wounds and in treatment of a variety of other ailments; comparable to aloe vera in vaue for yielding useful chemical substances; has been providing income to rural harvesters who collect the leaf exudate (sap); leaves being removed from the lower part of the plant and stacked in a circle around a hollow in the ground where the sap collects over a period; sap collected from plants in the natural state is preferred by organic product users; a low fat aloe ferox based yoghurt has been marketed in South Africa; skincare products are manufactured from the exudate, as well as a range of natural medicines; aloins are extracted from the leaves; in addition, a popular garden plant, often used in public gardens, whilst plantations fof A. ferox for pharmaceutical use may be on the increase commercially |
Ecological rarity |
Common; comments have been found in the literature regarding excessive boer goat browsing of the plants, thus threatening the plant in certain arid regions; over-harvesting of leaves may also cause some threat to the plant population |
Pests and diseases |
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Other |
This plant has apparently been used medicinally in the distant past by indigenous populations, particularly the San people; also said to have been used by the Egyptians as an embalming fluid; Aloe ferox attracts several bird species; the plants are sometimes damaged by baboons seeking nectar |
Location |
Occurs in different habitats including on mountain slopes, rocky hills, bushy plains, certain Karoo veld and fynbos areas |
Distribution (SA provinces) |
Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Free State |
Country |
South Africa, Lesotho, further north in Africa? |