Aloe vera has thick-fleshed, lanceolate leaves with thorny teeth on the edge. They are approx. 30-60 cm long, blue-green or lightly spotted and arranged in rosettes at the base of the trunk. New leaves emerge from the center of the plant while the outer leaves gradually die off. This allows very old aloe plants to form a trunk over the years. In spring the yellow, red or orange flowers appear on inflorescences protruding high above the foliage.
also read
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- Aloe vera in bloom
- Correct temperature for aloe vera
Biodiversity of the aloe plants
Aloes form their own genus of plants that includes around 500 species. With this diversity, it is not always easy to distinguish between the individual species. In our part of the world, several of them are called Houseplants cultivated. In addition to the well-known aloe vera, there are a few more Aloe species:
- Aloe arborescens (Baumaloe, Eternal Aloe)
- Aloe ferox (Cape Aloe, Wild Aloe)
- Aloe variegata (Tiger Aloe),
- Aloe erinacea,
- Aloe aristata,
- Aloe plicatilis,
- Aloe morijensis,
- Aloe dichotoma.
Beware of agaves
If agave is confused with aloe vera, the consequences can be unpleasant. Both types of plants actually look alike. The main difference is not only that the agave dies after flowering, but above all in the active ingredients contained in the respective plant.
While the juice of the agave is mainly used to produce the Mexican national drink pulque and its fiber is used to obtain sisal The gel contained in the leaves of the aloe vera is a tried and tested product for skin care and is also used to treat various skin diseases used. If you want to alleviate your sunburn with the cut leaf of an agave, you will find to your sorrow that the burning sensation intensifies.
Tips
All commercially available aloe plants are pronounced easy-careso they are good for people who are short on time. If you can to water Forgets, it doesn't bother aloe thanks to its storage organs.