Name
Lebombo Aloe
Latin Name
Aloe spicata
Description
Lebombo Aloe is a short-stemmed aloe with narrow, strap-like leaves; the leaves are pale green or brick-red in colour when in full sun. They are also sharply toothed on the margins and are very juicy with a yellowish, slimy sap.
The sap has been used to treat stomach ailments for many centuries. The succulent leaves also store water to enable the plants to survive drought. The flowers are carried on stout stems and are more or less tubular in shape.
The flowering time is during winter when yellow flowers are in erect spikes. The plants are protected from grazing by fierce thorns and bitter sap.
Habitat
Aloe spicata grows on cliffs and rocks and is found in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces in South Africa and into Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The species is protected in the Kruger National Park.
Field Notes
Although generally found in rocky areas the Lebombo Aloe does not have any preference for a particular substrate to survive in. They are also found across a range of geological types, from mountains to grasslands. This Aloe is a common site in the areas of its occurrence.
