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The Cape's incredible aloe ferox

More powerful healer than aloe vera

A hundred-and-thirty-two varieties of the world's 160-odd varieties of aloe are to be found in the Cape, South Africa and yet in this country and more specifically this province, these attractive and hardy plants are little appreciated and seldom used in gardens.

It seems as if the resilience of these plants lessens the value we give them, or perhaps it's because they have not become fashionable in Europe.

The one aloe that is well known to many does not even come from here. It is the aloe vera. It is all the rage in the health and beauty world and its benefits to the skin are world renowned. Yet we have an aloe that is even better.

The San people used this aloe for thousands of years and made paintings of this venerable plant. The early settlers also used it extensively. It's one of our largest and most attractive aloes and it is known as the aloe ferox. Ferox meaning ferocious and this because it is one of the few aloes with thorns.

Atomic radiation

When the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, thousands upon thousands of people were wandering about with the most horrific burns and no medicine to relieve their agony. Some of these poor souls came upon some aloe ferox in the local botanical gardens and in desperation they broke open the succulent leaves and smeared the natural jelly on their wounds.  The results were astounding and the Japanese immediately started to study the properties and benefits of this amazing plant. Ever since then the Japanese have been the single largest importers of the aloe ferox sap.

The aloe ferox plant contains two different juices. The yellow bitter sap and the white aloe gel.

The bitter sap lies underneath the green peel and is part of the surface skin. When the leaf is cut this bitter yellow sap drains spontaneously. When the bitter sap is concentrated it hardens into dark brown crystals. This bitter crystal is used for hay fever and sinus problems. The crystals are also used as a purgative and to detoxify the blood, this with great benefits, especially for skin disorders. The crystals also act as a suppressant of intestinal parasites. Many people use bitter crystals for arthritis, rheumatics, osteoporosis, under active thyroid, dandruff, hair loss and for increased liver function.

The inner fleshy portion of the ferox consists of a mucous white material, called aloe gel, which is not bitter.  This aloe gel is used for radiation and other burns, nappy ulcers and heat rashes, chafed and chapped skin, blisters, mouth ulcers, eye infections, abscesses, acne, haemorrhoids, corn scars, sun spots, skin cancer, itching, insect bites, dermatitis, eczema, bed sores, psoriasis and about 74 other ailments.