Aloe Arborescens
The Many Benefits of Aloe Arborescens
Aloe Arborescens is commonly referred to as Krantz Aloe, Kransaalwyn, Umhlabana, and Inkalene. Therefore, if you were interested in growing this plant, you may need to look under several names to find what you want. Without doubt, this plant makes an excellent addition to any flowerbed or garden. Not only is the foliage unique and attractive, but this plant also produces gorgeous, large flowers.
The Aloe Arborescens is ideal for beginners since it is such an easy plant to grow and manage. However, the natural medicinal properties contained in Aloe is what makes it so beneficial. Grown as a shrub, it will reach about two feet tall when mature. The leaves are a grayish green color that grow in rosettes. Even the leaf margins are unique, which grow visible tan colored teeth.
When bloomed, the thing you would notice most about the Aloe Arborescens are the spikes, which actually grow in the winter. Because of this, if you have a garden without any life or color in the winter, this plant would add vibrancy and color. Of all colored blooms, orange is the most common but the spikes also produce yellow and bi-colored flowers consisting of deep orange and yellow.
Another interesting fact about the Aloe Arborescens is that the flowers have sweet nectar. For this reason, this plant is a natural attractant to birds, butterflies, and bees. In its place of origin, this plant is a cliff dweller, growing on high inland plateaus in the northern parts of South Africa. If visiting this part of the country, you would see high up in the cliffs, plants hanging down. One of the most popular places where the Aloe Arborescens is found in South Africa is the Witwatersrand National Botanical Garden.
While the Aloe Arborescens is a large shrub with multiple branches, it is still officially labeled as a “tree.” Today, you can find this species throughout Africa to include Limpopo, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Mpumalanga, and Kwa-Zulu-Natal. However, because of its benefits for healing, the Aloe Arborescens is now grown throughout the world.
In the western world, Aloe Arborescens is used right off the plant for a variety of things, specifically to treat burns. The serum inside the thick leaves is gooey but it also possesses a cooling component and healing property so when applied to the skin, it instantly begins to soothe pain and heal. Because of this, you can find products in grocery stores, drug stores, natural food stores, etc that contain natural Aloe.
However, in its native land of South Africa, Aloe Arborescens is actually planted around enclosures where livestock are kept. Instead of using a wire fence, the plants become the fence. Today, if you were to visit some of the older areas where these enclosures are abandoned, you would still find them encircled with this plant. Additionally, the South African people take cuttings to use as barrier plants, which can be found in muthi shops.
Another common use for the Aloe Arborescens plant is for the leaves to be dried, which are then ground into powder. The Zulu people use this powder to protect the community against storms. The leaves are also used for treating sick calves and in childbirth of humans. Other uses for Aloe Arborescens include stomachaches, abrasions, and for a variety of anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-ulcer needs.