Aloe arborescens (Candelabra aloe)
Family: Aloeaceae
Origin: Temperate South Africa
Location: Temperate glasshouse
Accession: 1976
This species of aloe
reaches 2-3m in height, with many rosettes of blue-green fleshy leaves with
soft teeth running along their edges. Tall orange-red racemes of flowers, full
of nectar, rise from the rosettes attracting butterflies, birds and bees in the
cold winter months. It grows on rocky outcrops in its native South Africa and
has been used to fence livestock enclosures. The succulent leaves contain a
pulp that is known to soothe the skin, especially from burning and redness, and
has many other medicinal uses.
