Object: Aloe - Aloe vera

Aloe vera is considered one of the most important plants in medicinal applications even today.   The gel at the center of each leaf can be used to help heal burns, and burn wounds were very common in a society that used wood fires to heat homes and cook meals.     

A plant that is native to the middle east, it was commonly found growing in a pot in any European apothecary or doctor's home.   The Dutch grew it in Barbados, and given the trade between Barbados and New Netherland, it is likely that some pots containing Aloe vera plants made their way to the settlement.