Aloe ferox

Cape Aloe / Bitter Aloe

Aloe ferox, the Cape aloe or bitter aloe, is a single-stemmed succulent tree endemic to the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. Standing up to 3 metres tall with a rosette of fleshy, spiny-margined leaves, it is a dominant feature of the Cape landscape. The Khoikhoi and San peoples used the leaf sap as a purgative and the inner gel for wound healing, burns, and skin conditions for centuries before European settlers commercialised the trade.

The leaf produces two distinct preparations: the bitter yellow exudate (aloe latex or ‘aloe lump’) containing anthraquinone glycosides — primarily aloin (barbaloin) and aloe-emodin — used as a potent laxative; and the clear inner leaf gel containing polysaccharides (acemannan), glucomannans, and amino acids used for topical wound healing, moisturisation, and anti-inflammatory applications. By the 18th century, Cape aloe was one of the Cape Colony’s most valuable export commodities, shipped to Europe and Asia as a pharmaceutical raw material.

Chemical Constituents

Aloin (barbaloin), aloe-emodin, acemannan, chrysophanol, campesterol, beta-sitosterol, Vitamins A, C, E, B12, minerals (zinc, calcium, magnesium, selenium).

Traditional & Commercial Use

Laxative: 50–200 mg of dried aloe latex taken at bedtime. Topical: fresh gel applied directly to burns, cold sores, psoriasis, and acne. The South African aloe industry harvests from wild populations in the Klein Karoo region under sustainable harvesting protocols. Over 300 tonnes of aloe bitters are exported annually.