Cape Aloe

Aloe ferox

Also known as Cape Aloe, Bitter Aloe, Tap Aloe, Red Aloe

At a glance

Family

Asphodelaceae

Type

Succulent, tree-like aloe

Parts used

Leaf gel (inner fillet) and leaf latex (bitter yellow sap)

Size

Single thick stem reaching 6 to 10 feet, topped with a rosette of spiny gray-green leaves

Bloom

Tall candelabra spikes of orange to red flowers in winter

Habitat

Dry, rocky hillsides and semi-arid scrub of South Africa's Eastern and Western Cape

Acquisition

Grow or buy

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Soothes minor skin irritation

Traditional digestive bitter

Supports occasional constipation

Cooling first aid for burns

Traditional uses

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Long before it reached European apothecary shelves, Cape Aloe was gathered by the Khoisan peoples of southern Africa, who understood the plant's two very different gifts: a cool, mucilaginous gel prized for the skin, and a bitter yellow sap prized as medicine. By the early 1700s, Dutch and British traders were exporting the dried, crystallized sap from Cape Town as one of South Africa's first great herbal commodities, known simply as Cape Aloes, and it became a staple bittering agent in tonics and pharmacy compounds across Europe. Farmers still tap the leaves by hand today, much as their grandparents did, letting the sap bleed into trenches cut around a drum of standing leaves.

How to grow & use it

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The full apothecary for Cape Aloe

Traditional remedies and step-by-step preparations, a complete growing guide, and how to harvest, dry, and store it, all unlocked with HerbLens Unlimited.

✦Remedies & preparations
✦ Growing guide
✦Harvest & storage

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Pairs well with

✦Chamomile
✦Calendula
✦Ginger

Substitutes

✦Aloe vera gel (for topical use)
✦Senna (for traditional laxative use)

Choose it when

“For skin that has had too much sun, or a digestion that has slowed to a crawl, the desert's own bitter medicine.”

Did you know?

The dried, crystallized sap of Cape Aloe was one of South Africa's earliest agricultural exports, shipped to Europe from the Cape as early as the 1700s and still harvested by hand from wild stands today, making it one of the longest continuously traded herbal products in the world.

Safety

The bitter latex beneath Cape aloe's leaf skin is a strong laxative that can cause cramping, diarrhea, and electrolyte loss if overused, and it should never be taken during pregnancy or by children. It isn't appropriate for anyone with intestinal obstruction or inflammatory bowel conditions, and may interact with heart or diuretic medications. The clear inner gel is gentler for use on unbroken skin, but patch test first.