Plant Name: Aloe, Saponaria (Soap Aloe)
Botanical Name: Aloe maculata
Native Name: Unknown
Height/Physical Description: 1.5 feet in height and width. White-spotted green leaves. Salmon-colored flowers in Spring.
Use: This is one of the original plants placed in the garden when it was first called our Southwestern Wild Edible Garden. It is not on the Tribal list and it is unknown whether it was used by our local tribes.
In Southwestern edible sources, it is simply referred to as possibly used to create soap for cleansing.
Harvesting: The lower fat leaves are harvested in Spring,
Preparation: The leaves are filleted (skin removed) leaving the clear gelatin which is the useful part.