Aloes aren’t just beneficial for your garden

For thousands of years, aloe has been valued for its many profound medicinal uses.

From the Ancient Egyptians to present-day Western civilisation, the long history and wide spread use of this miracle plant has withstood the test of time.

Aloe features as the main ingredient in so many skin, beauty and health products around the world.

1. Krantz aloe (Aloe arborescens)

• Appearance: A multi-headed shrub with large sunset-hued flowers and striking leaves.
• Get growing: Easy to grow in full sun with sandy or loamy soil, flowers in autumn or winter.
• Benefits: Attracts birds, drought-resistant, good as a hedge or screen.
• Magical powers: Used as an anti-bacterial, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic, hypoglycaemic and to treat open wounds.

2. Bitter aloe (Aloe ferox mill)

• Appearance: Reaches a height of two to three metres with huge flowers and rosette leaves.
• Get growing: Skill in full sun with sandy or loamy soil, flowers in autumn or winter.
• Benefits: Good for pots, attracts birds and is drought resistant.
• Magical powers: The secret ingredient in Schwedenbitters, also used for its laxative properties, arthritis treatment, skin disorders and wound healing.

Fun fact: Aloes consist of 99 per cent water and can even be found on islands in the Indian Ocean.

3. Fence aloe (Aloiampelos tenuior)

• Appearance: Slender scrambler with masses of delicate orange-red flowerheads.
• Get growing: Easy to grow in full sun with sandy or loamy soil, flowers from early summer.
• Benefits: Feeds honeybees, good for pots, attracts birds, drought-resistant.
• Magical powers: In traditional medicine the roots and leaves are used as a purgative and tapeworm remedy.

4. Soap aloe (Aloe maculata)

• Appearance: Heads of bright sunset flowers with sword-shaped spotted leaf rosettes.
• Get growing: Skill in full or partial sun with sandy or loamy soil, flowers year-round.
• Benefits: Attracts a variety of flyers, good for beds and borders, tolerates salt.
• Magical powers: The sap from the leaves can be used as a soap alternative (or used in homemade soap) owing to the strong anti-bacterial qualities.

Fun fact: Greeks believed aloe cured baldness and ancient writings say that even Cleopatra used it.

5. Cooper’s aloe (Aloe cooperi bak)

• Appearance: Grows like funky tall grass, alone or in small groups with spiked flowers.
• Get growing: Easy to grow in full or semi sun with sandy soil, flowers from late summer.
• Benefits: Good in pots and as screens, attracts birds, edible flowers and leaves.
• Magical powers: Young shoots, flowers and leaves are loaded with minerals. Harvest them to cook in a stew as a nutritious vegetable.

6. Quiver tree (Aloidendron dichotomum)

• Appearance: A hardy tree with smooth branches, blue-green leaves and yellow flowers.
• Get growing: Challenging to grow (but worth it) in full sun, flowers in winter.
• Benefits: Good potted tree, attracts and homes flyers like sugar birds and weavers.
• Magical powers: Young flower buds can be eaten (tastes similar to asparagus), roots are used in traditional medicine to treat asthma.

Top aloe tip: Ensure your beds or pots have good drainage as aloes hate having wet feet. Keep an eye out for fungus and root rot.

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