As this is the time of year when Aloe vera is in bloom, the story of how this plant arrived in our hemisphere is worth telling.
Native to the rocky soil of the southern Arabian Peninsula — Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Oman today — Aloe vera arrived in Europe courtesy of Arab traders. It grew well in Mediterranean countries due to its minimal water requirement; since in its native lands, annual rainfall does not exceed 10 inches a year and is often as little as three inches. Aloe vera grows especially well on the Canary Islands, off the northwest coast of Africa. Serendipitously, its flowers are canary yellow.
Columbus reached the Canary Islands, and it is thought that he brought potted Aloe vera on board from there. Aloe vera sap was highly valued due to its healing properties. The sunburn of sailors could be eased by application of Aloe sap, which at that time was known as “Canary ointment” and considered a miracle cure. Aloe vera was commonly utilized not only for healing skin diseases and infections, but was also taken internally for digestive problems.
In any case, it is clear that either Columbus or Spanish explorers who followed him planted Aloe vera in the Caribbean islands, the land they first encountered after completing their trans-Atlantic crossings. So successful was the growth of Aloe vera on the southeastern Caribbean island of Barbados that when time came for giving it a scientific name, Aloe barbadensis was chosen.
Aloe vera referenced the fact that the Spanish were mistaken in thinking the Agave species growing in the Caribbean — the fat-leafed Agave americana and the thin-leafed Agave angustifolia — were Aloe species, since Agaves have the same general form as aloes.
The “vera” in Aloe vera has no botanical standing. It’s only that “vera” means “true,” to distinguish it from Agaves. “Aloe” is first encountered in a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. It is the translation of the Hebrew word for a tropical tree with fragrant wood (Aquilaria spp.). This tree is similarly known for its medicinal properties. Unlike Aloe vera, which has no scent, it is sweet-smelling and categorized with cassia and myrrh, other tropical plants that share this aromatic quality.
Aloe vera propagates vegetatively in the garden by means of pups, clonal offspring that develop at the base of the mother plant; as the pups mature, they produce pups of their own, so that the ultimate spread of Aloe vera is unlimited.
There are more than 600 aloe species; 150 are indigenous to Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa, and 150 to South Africa. They range in growth habit from small-leafed ground covers to vines and trees, with every size shrub in between. Although they grow in full sun, they can burn in exceedingly hot weather unless given some minimal shade to protect them from the heat. Aloe vera is adaptable as an indoor plant, although in such a setting, it should get the brightest sun exposure available to you.
The most popular Aloe species is the candelabra plant (Aloe arborescens), growing up to 10 feet tall and wide with numerous reddish-orange, torch-like inflorescences adorning the deeply toothed foliage. Varieties with yellow flowers and variegated foliage are also available. Fan aloe (Kumara/Aloe plicatilis) has narrow leaves in fan-like clumps that provide a soft and uniquely relaxing look. Fan aloe grows at a snail’s pace, but patience will reward you with a shrub than can attain a height of 6-8 feet. Dawe’s aloe (Aloe dawei) develops into a four-foot-tall and wide clump with orange flowers while climbing aloe (Aloe ciliaris) has scarlet blooms and does a wonderful job growing up a chain link fence to hide it from view.
Just as the Spanish were planting Aloe vera in the Caribbean, they soon were taking back another succulent to Europe. This was prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-nitida), native to Mexico, which was originally valued for the sweet fruit it produced while having a negligible water requirement. However, there was a bonus to growing this cactus that had a significant commercial application — all on account of an insect known as cochineal (KOTCH-ih-neel) scale. This insect bears a close resemblance to mealybugs, which are actually a kind of scale, except that adult female mealybugs have motility – that is, the ability to move around their plant hosts at will. Other female scales — including cochineal scales — are basically sessile in their adult stage, meaning they attach themselves to stems, leaves, or fruit and stay in one place forever as they suck sap.
Cochineal scales are valued for the carminic acid that constitutes approximately 20% of their bodies, and is used in the manufacture of red dye. This metabolite helps them deter ants and is toxic to potential predators. The abdomens of female cochineal scales, which contain their eggs, are especially concentrated in carminic acid, and dye manufacturers are skillful in separating pregnant females from the rest of the scale population.
From the middle of the 16th century, when the Spanish first found the Aztecs using carminic acid as a red dye for fabrics, until the middle of the 19th century, when synthetic dyes were developed, the cochineal scale was the main source of red dye throughout much of the world.
Prior to the use of the cochineal scale, the main source of European red dye was the kermes scale that infested the Mediterranean kermes oak (Quercus coccifera). This textile dye had been in use since biblical times. In the book of Exodus, a fiery dye used in the Tabernacle tapestries was said to come from a “scarlet worm,” which has since been identified as the kermes scale. However, the scarlet dye extracted from the cochineal scale was eight times brighter than that produced by the kermes oak scale, and so the former took the place of the latter in the manufacture of red dye.
California native of the week: If you are looking for a native that is happy in moist soil, consider licorice mint (Agastache urticifolia). Flowers are rose-colored and foliage has a licorice scent. Ironically, non-native Agastache species demand well-drained soil, while this native species is comfortable in a wet meadow, a riparian (river-friendly) environment, placed on the edge of a pond, or next to a birdbath that splashes over the edges due to regular avian visitors. This species is deciduous and is as attractive to butterflies as any other plant. Flowers are edible
If you have an experience with Aloe vera or any other Aloe you would like to share, please let me know about it by sending an email to joshua@perfectplants.com. Yours questions and comments as well as gardening successes and conundrums are always welcome.
