Meet the plants: aloe

Abolition is not some distant future but something we create in every moment when we say no to the traps of empire and yes to the nourishing possibilities dreamed of and practiced by our ancestors and friends. 

– Eric A. Stanley, Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex

Aloe barbadensis

If you are prone to sunburns you probably met The Lily of the Desert, Aloe vera.  A succulent plant species, aloe stores water in its thick stems. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world and is considered an invasive species in many world regions.Aloe vera appears in Chinese and Sumerian writings around 3000 B.C. In the time of the pharaohs the Egyptians idealized aloe vera and called it “the plant of immortality” because it can live and even bloom without soil 

Aloe can be found written on papyrus describing the anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects. Between the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries aloe vera has an estimated annual market value of $13 billion globally. Aloe vera is antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic properties. You can take it internally, but with caution– too much can give you the runs. Aloe is a natural defense against plaque-producing bacteria and canker sores. Aloe vera has a range of therapeutic properties, especially as an ointment for the skin and gums.

Aloes produce a flower, but reproduce by offsetting, not through seeds. In botany and horticulture, an offset (also called a pup) is a small, virtually complete daughter plant that has been naturally and asexually produced on the mother plant. Just as amazing— the entire aloe family stores water under their leaves in order to thrive in conditions too hard for most other plants.

A rare sighting— an aloe flower (bottom left) at Solitary Gardens!

A natural succulent construct is the ability to survive barren conditions by retaining water in their leaves. Aloe vera has a very thick epidermis that is important for water retention as it prevents excessive transpiration. Aloe is able to thrive in conditions too harsh for most others and teaches us about planning for the future,

Aloe teaches us about planning for the future, what will we take with us to create a landscape without prisons, policing or surveillance? What will we hold under our (thick) skin?

What ideas, virtues, stories or tenets are important to bring into an abolitionist’s future?

Aloe there friend! :)