Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f., Xanthorrhoeaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Aloe barbadensis Mill.; Aloe vulgaris Lam.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: lu hui

English: Barbados aloe, Curaçao aloe, West Indian aloe, aloe vera, true aloe

French: aloès vulgaire

Maori (Cook Islands): ‘āroe, ‘āroevera, ‘arovera

Samoan: aloe

Spanish: acibar, aloe, sávila

Tahitian: rapahoe

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Plants short-stemmed or stemless, producing basal offshoots, glabrous, leaves succulent, in dense rosette, narrowly dagger-shaped, light green, often spotted with white, filled with clear gelatinous matrix, 15-60 x 3-8 cm, base sheathing, tapering to long acute apex, cartilaginous margin bearing stout teeth 1-1.5 cm apart; inflorescences usually unbranched, axillary racemes to 1 m long, floriferous in distal half; flowers solitary, subtended by a scarious bract 4-5 mm long, pedicel 3-4 mm long, corolla tubular, light orange or yellow, tepals 6, linear-elliptic, 25-28 x 4-5 mm, connate in basal 1/3, stamens and style included, ca. 25 mm long; fruit capsular, 15-17 x 7-8 mm, trigonous, splitting into 3 segments"  (Lorence, Flynn & Wagner, 1995; p. 21).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Caledonia, "EspŠce commune dans les jardins, parfois comme plante ornementale mais surtout en sa qualit‚ de "plante a br–lures"; la sŠve cale en effet rapidement la douleur et permet une gu‚rison sans cicatrice" (MacKee, 1994; p. 92).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Canary Islands; widely cultivated and naturalized (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive cultivated	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (pp. 473, 519, 551) "Es una planta vigorosa que se encuentra en unos pocos jardines del pueblo de San Jan Bautista en RC".
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Aitutaki Atoll	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	‘Atiu Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	introduced cultivated	McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Isabela Group	Volcán Sierra Negra, Isabela Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Baltra Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced cultivated	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy (2010) (p. 7)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Timothy W./Wagner, Warren L. (1995) (p. 21) "On dry cliffs in secondary shrubland". Vouchers cited: D. Lorence & T. Flynn 7430 (PTBG), M. Chapin et al. 3 (PTBG) Setting fruit and also spreading from basal offshoots.
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Oppenheimer, Hank (2011) (p. 5) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H30922 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank L. (2003) (pp. 4-5) West Maui. Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H10129 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wysong, Michael/Hughes, Guy/Wood, K. R. (2007) (p. 1) Voucher cited: Wysong 765 (BISH)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Herbarium Pacificum Staff (1999) (p. 3) Voucher cited: G. Staples & B. Pope 1154 (BISH) "Spreading vegetatively and also setting limited amounts of fruit".
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Kwajalein (Kuwajleen) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Whistler, W. A./Steele, O. (1999) (p. 103)
Marshall Islands Ratak Chain	Majuro (Mãjro) Atoll	introduced cultivated	Vander Velde, Nancy (2003) (p. 19) Potted plants.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 92) Vouchers cited: MacKee 12821, Nothis 279 (NOU)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	cultivated	Merrill, Elmer D. (1925) (p. 204) Cultivated for ornamental and medicinal purposes.

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced invasive cultivated	Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong (2013) Cultivated for medicinal uses, and perhaps naturalized in the hot, dry Yuan Jiang valley in S Yunnan.
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 365)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	introduced cultivated	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 12) Cultivated only

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Indian Ocean offshore islands) Christmas Island Group	Christmas Island	introduced cultivated	Swarbrick, J. T. (1997) (p. 103)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013) Texas
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	USA (Florida)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Aloe vera, please let us know.