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Witchdoctor's Aloe

Aloe globuligemma

Witchdoctor's Aloe
Photo: JMK, CC BY-SA 4.0

Aloe globuligemma, the witchdoctor's aloe, is an evergreen succulent perennial from southern Africa that forms large, dense clumps. It grows best in hot, dry conditions with very sharp drainage and little water.

Family
Asphodelaceae (Aloe family)
Grows as
Succulent, Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply but infrequently, letting the soil dry out fully between waterings, and water less in winter.
Soil
Fast-draining cactus or succulent mix, with added grit or sand.
Temperature
18–35 °C; protect below 5 °C
How easy
Easy
Native range
Zimbabwe to Mpumalanga
Climate
seasonally dry tropical

About

Aloe globuligemma, commonly known as the witchdoctor's aloe, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asphodelaceae. It is native to southern Africa where it occurs in semi-desert and dry bushland. It is an evergreen, succulent, perennial plant. The plant forms large, dense clumps. It is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use.

Where it grows

Aloe globuligemma is found in Botswana, Zimbabwe and in the South African provinces Limpopo and Mpumalanga in hot dry areas and bushlands at elevations from 600–1,325 m (2,000–4,300 ft), often in large colonies, in bare or sparsely grassed places, often in eroded areas and in open deciduous woodland.

Uses

Aloe globuligemma is used in traditional African medicine. A leaf infusion is taken traditionally for stomach ache, venereal diseases, and as an abortifacient.

Other Aloe plants

Aloe aaata · Aloe aageodonta · Aloe abyssicola · Tent Cent Aloe · Spotted Aloe · African Aloe · White Grass Aloe · Aloe albiflora · Aldabra Aloe · Aloe ambigens · Aloe andongensis · Wylliespoort Aloe

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Aloe globuligemma by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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