Banner for March 26, 2018 by Baja_Costero in the Site Banners forum

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Baja_Costero

Mar 25, 2018 6:01 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)

Aloe ferox... yes, the spines are for real!

Full size photo here

Bitter Aloe (Aloe ferox)
Uploaded by Baja_Costero

And side view. The blushing, clenched look is the plant pouting after several months of drought.

This is a fairly large tree aloe with time. Here are flowers from another Aloe ferox (the one above has not yet flowered for some reason).... an event for humans, birds, and bees.

Bitter Aloe (Aloe ferox)
Uploaded by Baja_Costero

Bitter Aloe (Aloe ferox)
Uploaded by Baja_Costero

| @Baja_Costero | Post #1667915 (1)

Last edited by Baja_Costero Mar 25, 2018 6:13 PM

Marilyn

Mar 25, 2018 6:37 PM CST

Name: Marilyn
Kentucky (Zone 6a)
Laughter is the Best Medicine!

Love the flowers, but not the spines.

Welcome to the Agastache and Salvias Forum!

Hummingbirds are beautiful flying jewels in the garden!

| @Marilyn | Post #1667938 (2)

crawgarden

Mar 25, 2018 6:42 PM CST

Name: Rj
Just S of the twin cities of M (Zone 4b)

Great banner Baja!

As Yogi Berra said, “It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future.”

| @crawgarden | Post #1667941 (3)

plantmanager

Mar 25, 2018 7:18 PM CST

Name: Karen
New Mexico (Zone 8a)

Beautiful banner, Baja! Thanks for the extra photos and information, too.

Handcrafted Coastal Inspired Art SeaMosaics!

| @plantmanager | Post #1667965 (4)

rocklady

Mar 25, 2018 7:24 PM CST

Name: Jean
Hot Springs Vlg, AR, DeLand, F

Very interesting plant, and I agree with Marilyn, love the flowers but not the spines.

Any day you wake up on the sunny side of the grass is a good day.

"The moving hand writes and having writ moves on. Neither all thy piety nor all thy wit can lure it back to cancel half a line nor all thy tears wash out a word of it." The Rubiyat by Omar Khayyam

| @rocklady | Post #1667976 (5)

GaNinFl

Mar 25, 2018 7:25 PM CST

Name: Stan
Florida Panhandle (Defuniak Sp (Zone 8b)

great banner, Baja!

Stan
(Georgia Native in Florida)
http://garden.org/blogs/view/G...

| @GaNinFl | Post #1667977 (6)

pod

Mar 25, 2018 7:28 PM CST

Name: Kristi
east Texas pineywoods (Zone 8a)

I love the coloration of this A. ferox. Very attractive and a great banner also.

Believe in yourself even when no one else will. ~ Sasquatch

| @pod | Post #1667979 (7)

carolem

Mar 25, 2018 11:08 PM CST

Name: Carole
Lake Macquarie, Australia

looks great Baja

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.

Vincent Van Gough

| @carolem | Post #1668083 (8)

Baja_Costero

Mar 26, 2018 12:35 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)

Thank you for the kind words, people.

Every year during weed pulling season I end up losing blood to plants like this, but it's all worthwhile when they flower.

Here's another random info tidbit: this aloe is medicinal. The juice is harvested by gravity extraction from the leaves. You can get away with harvesting a lot of the rosette as long as you leave a few leaves so the plant can recover. Some pics here...

https://www.kariega.co.za/blog...

| @Baja_Costero | Post #1668447 (9)

Last edited by Baja_Costero Mar 26, 2018 2:04 PM

cliftoncat

Mar 26, 2018 3:02 PM CST

Name: Mika
Oxfordshire, England and Mento

Very interesting. When you say the aloe is medicinal, what is the juice used for?

| @cliftoncat | Post #1668535 (10)

Baja_Costero

Mar 26, 2018 3:36 PM CST

Thread OP

Name: Baja
Baja California (Zone 11b)

It is, as the common name would suggest, rather bitter.

Aloe ferox products are mostly used as laxatives I think ("colon care"), mostly in South Africa, but they have been promoted for all sorts of things in a general new-agey sort of way. There are also Aloe ferox skin care products derived from the gel, but I have no idea how those might compare to Aloe vera.

| @Baja_Costero | Post #1668559 (11)

Last edited by Baja_Costero Mar 26, 2018 3:43 PM