Cape Aloe Overview
One of the best-known South African plants with a long history of medicinal use. This evergreen succulent shrub has a woody stem and blue-green foliage with red-brown spines along the margins, but of course, it is best known for the beautiful tubular, red-orange flower large candelabra-like flower-heads that brings warmth to the winter garden. Aloe ferox forms a beautiful display and attracts many bird species such as sunbirds, weavers, glossy starlings and mousebirds. Insects also visit the flowers which in turn brings yet more birds to your garden. In natural areas, monkeys and baboons will raid the aloes for nectar. Visitors usually leave adorned with large patches of pollen, often causing confusion amongst birdwatchers! Aloe ferox is an excellent garden specimen plant and is adaptable to many conditions. Aloe ferox is able to grow successfully in a wide range of habitats such as mountain slopes, rocky landscapes and flat, open areas. It is mostly known for its medicinal uses, but can also be used for cosmetics, food supplements and the leaves themselves are edible. Aloe - derived from the Greek word for the dried juice of aloe leaves. Ferox - "fierce" or "war-like", referring to the spiny edged leaves.
