The Wonder Plant
Aloe has been touted for thousands of years for its healing, medicinal and cosmetic benefits. Cleopatra considered it to be her irresistible beauty secret; drawings of aloe are even found in the tombs of the Pharoahs. In ancient times, nomadic peoples traveled with these precious desert plants that were used to soothe the effects of blistering sun and dry desert winds as well as to treat a multitude of ailments. Alexander the Great even conquered an island in East Africa just to have an adequate supply to heal his soldiers’ wounds. Known as the “lily of the desert”, aloe arrived in Aruba in the middle of the 19th century; some say it was imported by the Spanish explorers from an island in North Africa. At one time, a great part of Aruba was covered with aloe plantations. Aruba became the largest aloe producer and exporter at the beginning of the 20th century; a plant even appears in the country’s coat of arms. Aloe used to be tied with a red ribbon and hung over the door of the house for good luck. The leaves were used to scrub and shine floors and wood; the stems of the flowers were used to make mortar for stone walls.
Perhaps due to its clay moisture-retentive soil, Aruba aloe is of a superior quality. Though the fresh leaves are still harvested by hand, a state-of-the-art factory today produces an extensive line of skin and hair care products.
