Someone prove me wrong, but there is no such thing as a Japanese aloe. He said in the video himself, aloe are desert plants, and Japan is not known for having deserts. All, or most of aloe are native to the continent of Africa and areas around the Arabian peninsula. the plant he refers to as "standard aloe Vera" is aloe barbadiensis. What he is eating looks like aloe maculata (or one of a variety of maculated aloes)). Contrary to what he says in the video, most aloe, including his so called Japanese aloe, LOVE sunlight. Hope this helps.

probably none originated from the Japanese mainland, there are some islands further south, but its probably a variety that the Japanese brought back from their conquests during WW2, they practically owned the whole Pacific except for the far eastern and south eastern parts.

i've never tasted the skin of my aloe leaves b/c i read that it contained a chemical that causes severe diarrhea. i've always filleted the leaves and eat the clear gel part.

houston,

You might want to study your WWII history a little more - what you stated is almost all incorrect.

Momo,

As Brad states, that garden guru's gone wild. Ingesting Aloe is a cyclical fad. I'm sure after all the purging is done, one would feel more than physically empty.

just curious, which parts were incorrect?

the first part was a guess thats why i said "probably" a variety of aloe the Japanese brought home.

the other part about Japan practically owning the Pacific except the far east and southeast parts of the Pacific.
i know Japan took over two of the Aluetian islands off Alaska.

i know they had most of China and they were as ruthless as the Nazis. such as tying up pregnant Chinese women and cutting open their bellies and pulling the fetuses out. or doing chemical and germ warfare tests on Chinese prisoners. My maternal grandfather was an officer in the Chinese army, fought against the Japanese and later fought against the communist Chinese Red army. i remember some stuff before Pearl Harbor happened that there were quite a few American pilots, i think they called them Tiger pilots or something, that helped the Chinese battle the Japanese army/air force.

I know Japan went south to conquer most of SE Asia, like Cambodia and Thailand. I remember a documentary about PoW's constructing some railroads.

i know Japan had taken over Phillipines, and many of the islands in the western part of the Pacific, i know for sure the Japanese did not take Midway or Hawaii. Japan had most of the East Indies, Indonesia, Guam, the Marianas, Palau, the Truk islands, the Marshall Islands, and several of the other islands in the western Pacific.

i'm pretty sure the most southeastern part of the Pacific they controlled was Guadalcanal.

i'm not a history major, but i've read and watched documentaries on WW2 from the African campaigns, to the European theatre and the Pacific theatre. and even off the Eastern Seaboard, there were a few German Uboats that made it that far.

Japanese are famous for the haworthia, and agave's that they have hybridized amongst many other plants. I am sure that they have enough travels out there beyond their borders to bring in any aloe that they want for hybridizing purposes. I do not think that their choice of aloe will be limited to their travels during WW11. You have peaked my interest with this aloe. the video guy does not seem to know much about the variety. could it be not even a Japanese aloe but a passalong plant from a Japanese American family and the origins has be lost in the fog.

cactusmcharris,

i'd like to know what part of my WW2 history was "almost all incorrect."

i've replied with my info/facts. where's your info?

This isn't the place, but in your first posting you stated 'except for the far eastern and south eastern parts' - that's incorrect. Japan controlled almost all of the South Pacific, going as far as Wake Island, IIRC, and as far south as bombing Darwin (from bases in New Guinea?).

It's the Flying Tigers you're thinking of.

And Japanese Aloe is, to me, a huckster marketing term.

first, if "this isn't the place," then you shouldn't have said, "You might want to study your WWII history a little more - what you stated is almost all incorrect."

second, when you tell someone they are incorrect, you should tell them the correct info, so they don't continue to be wrong or misinformed.

the facts:
you're saying "as far as Wake Island," but Midway is a few hundred miles farther east, and Hawaii is another few hundred miles farther east. making them the farthest eastern parts of the Pacific.

you said they had "bases in New Guinea," true, but that is not the farthest south eastern part, as i mentioned Guadalcanal in my reply, which is probably the furthest SE they controlled. whereas Fiji is almost 1000 miles further SE, and New Zealand is about 1500 miles S/SE of Guadalcanal. The Fijians and New Zealanders(Kiwis) fought with the Allies.

from those facts i just pointed out, Japan controlled most of the Pacific except for the far eastern and south eastern parts.

There are hundreds of varieties if aloe that grow in all different climate zones including tropical and desert. Whether or not this plant is native to Japan it could certainly thrive in some of Japans climate zones or have been cultivated/ hybridized to thrive there. Japan has several climate zones. And btw Japanese have never controlled Hawaii.

Is this the historical misinformation forum or gardening?

Simple google search would tell you this info in about 5 seconds.

Yes

This post was edited by hawaiiherbgarden on Sun, Mar 2, 14 at 14:18

Aloe are fairly hardy and the only way they die from the cold is when the temperature goes below 40. (they die in 33 degree Fahrenheit, but I would avoid 40 degree weather)

This is late respond but, there is such thing as non bitter aloe. I've in my garden and I actually love to munch on the skin. The skin taste a little bit sour but Sweet after taste. The clean slimmy jelly is just jelly. Also, mine has no odor. Youtube for nonbitter alovera, John is showing it. It does not look like the bitter kinds and it is more green. it grow upward not outward. Good luck hunting for it. If you live near me I can hook you up: z.duyman@gmail.com

Also, a late response. I was in Japan a few months ago and visited a friend who grew aloe vera. I wish I knew what version she planted but she uses it for moisturizing, food, etc.

It's important to note that these aloe vera still thrive in the cold weather, even after the freak snow day they had in November.