Aloe divaricata

Aloe divaricata is an evergreen succulent shrub from Madagascar. It belongs to the Asphodelaceae family. Its native home includes dry scrub and thickets near the coast. It grows on sandy ground in these dry places. Records place it up to 2,625 feet [800 metres] above sea level. Kew lists its habitat as desert or dry shrubland.

The shrub has a woody stem with few branches. Its usual height is about 6.6–9.8 feet [2–3 metres]. Some wild plants reach about 19.7 feet [6 metres]. In dense scrub, a single stem may reach that length. This larger size is an extreme, not the usual range. Each branch ends in a rosette of fleshy leaves. Individual leaves can reach about 2.1 feet [0.65 metres] long. Their bases can measure about 0.23 feet [0.07 metres] across. The plant keeps its leaves through the year.

In cultivation, this species grows in full sun or light shade. Established plants can cope with drought. Its sandy native soils give useful context for its growing needs. Even a light frost can harm it. The evidence does not give a precise winter temperature limit. Nor does it set out a garden spread or growth rate. Its tall stems and leaf rosettes define its form. The supplied species account gives no details of flowers or fruit. It also names no pests or diseases.

People gather this plant from the wild for medicinal use. The leaves and their sap have a history in local remedies. Reported uses include strong laxatives and treatments intended to trigger uterine contractions. Traditional practice also uses leaf preparations for broken bones. These records describe use, rather than proof that treatments work. The dried leaf exudate enters trade as ‘Madagascar Aloes’. This species yields more exudate than other medicinal Madagascan aloes, according to the account.

The source lists no known food use for this plant. Its medicinal record should not be read as evidence of edibility. The species-specific data identify aloin in both leaves and exudate. Aloin accounts for the laxative effect described in the source. The dried exudate contains a greater share than the leaf. No other uses are recorded in the supplied account.