Consulta Plantas

Care of the succulent plant Aloe vera or True Aloe

The genus Aloe is included in the subfamily Asphodeloideae (family Xanthorrhoeaceae), which comprises about 500 species of succulent plants native to Africa, Madagascar and the Middle East. Some species are: Aloe vera, Aloe variegata, Aloe thraskii, Aloe tenuior, Aloe suprafoliata, Aloe striata, Aloe plicatilis, Aloe mitriformis, Aloe marlothii, Aloe maculata, Aloe juvenna, Aloe ferox, Aloe ciliaris, Aloe barberae, Aloe aristata, Aloe arborescens, Aloe aculeata, Aloe x spinosissima, Aloe esculenta.

Common names: Chinese Aloe, Indian Aloe, True Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Burn Aloe, First Aid Plant. This species is native to Arabian Peninsula.

They are perennial succulent plants with rosette leaves 50 cm (1.64 feet) long. The fleshy leaves reach 7 cm (2.75") thick and contain Aloin, which is used in the pharmaceutical industry and protects the plant for its bitter taste. The flowers of this plant are tubular, small (2.5 cm/0.98") and are usually yellow. They bloom in summer.

Aloe vera needs very little water; if the watering is excessive it will rot. It is advisable to water only once in winter and the rest of the year only when the soil is dry.

The soil should be sandy, slightly acidic, and well drained.

Aloe vera needs exposure to full sun and is very resistant to drought and pests, but is very sensitive to excess humidity and cold (less than 10 ºC/50 ºF).

The plant warns us if it needs water wrinkling the leaves, although it is an easy plant to grow that does not need constant care.

For their propagation the seedlings produced by the mother plant are used, transplanting them to the garden or to a pot.

For Aloe vera to have healing properties, you have to wait until the plant is adult (between 3-4 years old). It was used in medicine and cosmetics from hundreds of years before Christ by Chinese, Egyptians and Greeks. It is a plant with infinite applications such as for the treatment of burns.

Images of the succulent plant Aloe vera or True Aloe