Aloe arborescens 'Limelight'

Not nearly as famous as Aloe vera, yet just as useful in the same ways, and even more productive, this first-time offering is a must have if you are a person who works with their hands, as all true homesteaders, gardeners and cooks do!

Aloe vera is a low growing, clumping Arabian species that is the go-to healing aloe for burns and sunburn, scrapes and bruises as well as skin care, but did you know there is another, indigenous aloe that has been used for millennia for the same purposes? It also grows more easily in most of the climates South Africa has to offer, and grows larger and arguably much more attractively in a garden setting.
Introducing an old heirloom cultivar of the shrubby Aloe arborescens, its cultivar name, ‘Limelight’ alludes to the fact that it has gorgeous yellow flowers in winter and unusual lime green jelly colored leaves with soft yellow spines on the edge.
Growing to a maximum height of 2 meters, this fast-growing plant produces a profusion of heads, each one of which can flower, or be used to produce another plant. A traditional use of the species in Pondoland was planting as a cattle kraal fence for this reason!
Why this plant is so useful in healing is the gel within each leaf, which can be extracted by filleting, or even just squeezed out as a first aid in need, like cream from a tube. Why this cultivar is special is that it produces very small amounts of ‘bitters’ in the peel, just enough for anti-bacterial action, and not so much that everything tastes bitter for the rest of the day after application!

Internal use of aloe gel (peel thoroughly removed and gel washed) has many claimed positive effects:

•    Digestive health: may help with stomach ailments, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It may also help inhibit the growth of H. pylori bacteria, which can lead to ulcers.
•    Heartburn: may help reduce heartburn.
•    Detoxification: may help with detoxification.
•    Immune system: may help increase the body's immune defenses.
•    Inflammation: may help with inflammation.
•    Intestinal flora: may help maintain the balance of the intestinal flora.
•    Gastric acidity: may help relieve symptoms of gastric acidity.

Traditional internal uses of the species include as a purgative, in childbirth and in treating sick calves. While aloe gel is considered safe to consume over a short time period, we do need to warn our clients that the laxative action can be strong, so it’s not recommended to be used internally for any length of time.

Aloe arborescens has been tested as a substitute for Aloe vera in wound healing and other skin care activities, and works in much the same way, it has even been trialed against X-Ray burns in Japan!

Plant your rooted cuttings the moment they arrive! The plant prefers full sun but will tolerate more shade than most aloes, flowering will be affected though.
Then plant produces few seed, but is easy to propagate by removing and re-rooting heads.

DISCLAIMER: Although in the minority in the genus, there are such things as toxic aloe species.
Do not use an aloe that you do not know the species of externally, even less internally.
Only grow professionally identified species for medicine!
Livingseeds accepts no liability for improper use of plants supplied. Claimed health benefits are listed for information sake only.