Aloe Vera plants are not only attractive houseplants but also have a long history of possessing wonderful healing properties. People use Aloe Vera to help soothe minor burns, cuts, scrapes and abrasions. Aloe Vera’s healing sap is added to creams, lotions and first-aid salves. People take aloe orally in the hopes of helping to treat many diseases including diabetes, asthma and arthritis. You don’t need to buy Aloe Vera to enjoy the soothing benefits; you can easily grow your own.
What is an Aloe Vera Plant?
Aloe Vera plants are semi-tropical succulent perennials that are often mistaken for cacti, but are actually members of the lily family. The plant originated in Northern Africa. Today, the Aloe plant can be found growing in the most southern states such as Texas and Arizona. The Aloe plant is also known by the common names of “burn plant” and “Lilly of the desert,” among others.
Aloe plants have the physical characteristics of very thick, tapered, spiny or serrated leaves. It can be found in many sizes, including miniature varieties (one inch!) and larger ones where the individual leaves extend up to 4 feet. When used topically, it is the inside of the aloe leaves, or the sap, that is used in ointment and salves.
Growing Conditions for Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera plants are semi-tropical plants and can only be planted outside in areas of the country where there is no threat of frost, or in USDA zones 10-11. If you live in an area in this zone, place your Aloe Vera plant in full sun or light shade. It will need to be placed in soil that drains well. If you live in a cooler area, you can still place your Aloe Vera plant outside during the warm summer months. It will need full sun and semi-frequent watering. You can let the soil dry out completely between watering.
Buying Aloe from a Garden Center
Because they are so popular, you can find aloe Vera plants at many garden centers, nurseries, big lot centers and even grocery stores. There are some things to keep in mind when choosing a plant from an indoor garden center. Always buy plants that look healthy and avoid the following:
Caring for Aloe Plants
Aloe Vera plants are easy to care for: they need lots of sun, warmth and a minimal amount of watering.
Other considerations for Aloe Plants
Using Aloe
One of the benefits of growing Aloe Vera plants is that you have immediate access to its wonderful soothing benefits. If you receive a mild burn or abrasion simply break off a plump outer leaf from the plant, cut it lengthwise and scoop out the contents inside. You can crush the contents of the leaf and apply this “paste” to your burn or abrasion for relief.
To see how to Aloe Vera gel is acquired, check out this video:
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, I’m April.
I need to know what it means when you have had an aloe vera plant for a long time, and it’s leaves are curling up, turning orangeish, and are falling off. Also, what does it mean when the aloe vera plant grows a long stalk with somthing that looks like miniature bananas?Is it flowering? I have to know, I mean I’ve had these aloe veras for about 10 years now, on April 7 2010 it’ll have been 10 years. I’m pretty worried, please reply.
Thanks,
April *R*
i am not completely sure. but i have read that is rotten away. but why dont you try googling it, you might be able to find out
I ‘m not sure if it’s dieing and flowering at the same time your gonna have to do some research.
hey my aloe vera plant is dieing, and i think its because of a inscet, their is lil wholes in the plant n the plant is really lumpy now n i am wondering how the get rid of the pest or even what type of pest is it?
thanx for ur time
i got told not to buy them if they have insects and that so id throw it. or google it
I got this aloe from a lady on my block the leaves seen to be thining out and curling up I just wonder what that is or why it seems to be happenening if you can answer that I would be appreciate it thanks DEAN BILLINGS
what do you do if there are baby plants in the same pot. do you cut them and put in new pot or just let the grow
Hi’ Unless the baby’s are crowding the mother plant, i leave them. I have mine indoor’s and I think it look’s nice with the pot full, but when the babies get large, I do cut them off and trans plant them, I put them right into the new dirt, they seem to grow root’s rapidly. I keep a close eye on them for a few week’s I hope this help’s you. good gardening M
I would let them get two or three inches tall and then remove them. Just brush away the soil until you can see where the roots attach…then just twist or cut the pup plant away from the mother plant and repot. Should grow great in some fresh soil!!
Curling leaves may be too much water or too cold temperatures….
I’ve had mine for over 10 years now, it does this in the winter if it’s near a window (drafty)
As for the baby offshoots, you can split the plant when re-potting, but it’s difficult to maintain the baby plants… you can keep everything together and put it in a bigger pot…
After 10years+ my alovera started to flowering from beginning to end,about 20days,now it’s almost done because all the flowers below drops off after blooming-beautiful yellowish & pink collours the top still have blubs waiting to be flower.after all is done what will happen to the long stem,when the flowers drop it leaves behind a tiny stalk attach to the stem.what will happen next?can anyone tell me
how much water can an Aloe Vera have per week
ive been having trouble w/the aloe roots falling off.ive done nothing different.recently,i transplanted to a gravel base w/ potting soil on top.-no help
help..joel
Hello,
Ive bought an aloe plant just today because I want access to the gel inside the leaves. I’ve been told that if you rub this gel onto your scalp you get healthy thick hair growth and hair fill diminishes (I hope so anyway!). What I want to know is – if I cut off the tip of a leaf and squeeze out the gel, will the leaf [a] die or [b] regrow its tip or [c] just stay as is but not die? I dont want to pull the entire leaf off, just a little bit at a time to scoop out just enough gel for my scalp (e.g. 3x a week). Does anyone know the answer to this?
The leaf it self if left on the plant still will grow. But any part that is cut off will not grow back.
i have had a n oloa plant for some 15 yrs very big in the bathroom not a lot of light and only wtered every 3 mths. this summer it leaves got saggy looking and the roots just disolved in the soil. would something have eaten the roots off as it just fell over on its side it has never bloomed and always been in bathroom on top of a cupboard has some light I tried to tramsplant it it new soil but nothing just finally died and leaves fell off and turned a brownish green
Hi
I have an Aloe Vera plant and i also had it in the bathroom for awhile and it wasn’t doing so well so i put it somewhere that had more sunlight and i watered it once a week and its doing quite well so if you have an Aloe Vera plant water once a week and sunlight. The more that you get to see your plant grow the more you love it. Have a happy hoiladay