Cape Aloe (Aloe ferox)

Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae | Edibility: Edible (2/5)

Cape Aloe. Aloe ferox. Other known names are Bitter Aloe, Red Aloe, Cape Aloe, and Alligator Jaw Aloe. Indigenous to South Africa but is now widely cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics, Cape aloe (Aloe ferox) is a tall, single-stem, succulent evergreen tree. It has thick and fleshy leaves arranged in rosette, with spines along the leaf margins. The flowers are red or orange in color in multi-branched inflorescence.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Leaves, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring

Flavor & Culinary Uses

tastes like watermelon jam. — The gel from the leaves has been used in South Africa to make a jam that tastes like watermelon jam.; It is also gaining importance as a refreshing and nutritive ingredient in food and drinks.; Dry leaves are harvested and crushed, after which a decoction is used to make a herbal tea.; The flowers are sucked for their sweet nectar.

Habitat & North American Range

Abundant on arid rocky hillsides up to 1,000 metres altitude. Also found in grassy fynbos and on the edges of the karoo. It grows both in the open and in bushy areas. (Zone 9)