Aloe: a description of the appearance, a photo of a houseplant at home in a pot and in nature, its flowers, and also what is its second name, is it a cactus or not?

All apartments have a variety of indoor plants that delight others with their appearance. Few people know that such plants are not only insanely beautiful, but also incredibly useful. Such a plant is aloe, which has a number of positive aspects. Since ancient times, aloe vera has been used to treat many diseases.

Before starting to use such a medicinal flower, it is worth familiarizing yourself with its features, a brief description, photographs, as it is also called. Apply this plant only after everything about aloe has been studied. You will also see in the photo how the indoor aloe plant looks at home in a pot, in nature and the decorative look of the flower.

Description of appearance and origin

What is it, to what family does the plant belong?

Aloe (in the Latin name Aloe) belongs to the succulent plants of the Xanthorrhoea family. There are more than 500 species of this plant. Representatives of this famous family are succulents.

Where do they grow in nature and in what places do they live more? They grow in the arid parts of the tropical zone and have special mechanisms in order to conserve water. It is worth noting that in this case, scarlet is distinguished by an incredible love of sunlight and heat. Where are you from? The homeland of a houseplant is South America and Africa., because it was from there that the first plant varieties were brought to Europe.

Is it a cactus or not? Aloe is not a cactus, although there are pronounced thorns and thorns. In most cases, succulents can be attributed to herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees.

Characterization of the appearance of the plant. In size, these plants in nature are quite diverse. You can find huge trees 10 meters high, as well as small shrubs. A feature and characteristic sign of all representatives of this genus is the presence of xiphoid leaves extending in all directions. They are very thick and covered with white coating. On the edges you can observe sharp spikes that protect the plant from all kinds of irritants. Such leaves serve aloe in order to accumulate as much moisture as possible.

Leaves in some species can reach almost 60 centimeters in length.. On a long peduncle, small flowers are located. They can be white, yellow, red or orange, but it all depends on the species.

How many lives?

This is an unpretentious plant that does not require special attention and care. If you water it in time and provide a sufficient amount of light, then the flower can live for several decades.

Determining the age of the succulent is easy enough, for this you need to look at the plant. If bright green predominates, then aloe is still young. As soon as yellowing appears, this indicates the age of the plant in several tens of years.

What is the difference with the agave?

The people often talk about the aloe plant (or scarlet) and the agave, as its second name, but as a result, such an attitude to plants can cause confusion and it is unclear what flower to take into account. Why is it popularly called the agave? Aloe and agave have very similar medicinal propertiesBut still there are differences. It is believed that aloe is more suitable for the treatment of skin diseases, cuts and wounds, but the agave is useful for internal use.

The difference between aloe and agave, as well as other colors similar to aloe, is discussed in a separate article.

Aloe

The habitual habitat of aloe is Northeast Africa, due to the climate the plant has fleshy leaves. Such a plant reaches a height of no more than half a meter. This flower can be grown at home without any problems, because it takes root in apartment conditions, only it blooms very rarely. About whether it is possible to keep aloe at home, we wrote in more detail in this article.

Agave

This plant is common in South Africa. Previously, the Egyptians used the flower in order to embalm the mummy. In appearance, the plant resembles a small tree or bush, which reaches 5 meters. Dense, fleshy leaves grow in the upper part of the trunk. The inflorescence itself has long brushes with orange flowers.

This plant can also be grown at home, only it will be much smaller in size than its wild counterparts. It is possible and even necessary to keep a plant at home, because it is medicinal and can be useful at the right timeAloe should be placed separately from other plants. Spiked succulents can damage the surfaces of other colors.

Beneficial features

Aloe is considered to be only an ornamental plant, but its healing properties are simply amazing. In the past, Egyptians and ancient doctors used various parts of this plant.

All modern studies prove the healing and benefits of aloe. Useful and healing properties are easily explained by the presence of unique complexes of vitamins and minerals, amino acids, as well as those compounds that positively affect different body systems.

Often in medicine use aloe juice, which is obtained from the leaves or stalk. You can use fresh juice, but it is also possible to use prepared extracts that have stood for a certain time. Juice can be obtained after cutting the leaves or use a press.

Fresh aloe juice is the most useful form of medicine. Its high efficiency is explained by the positive effect of various compounds on the body. Some components of the plant, which are found in various preparations and cosmetics, do not have a particularly high effect.

In cosmetology and medicine, aloe oil is most often used. It is also obtained from leaves (on how to store aloe leaves, it is written here). Often you can find aloe in the form of a syrup, gel, ointment or liquid extract. In many cases, such an extract can be administered intramuscularly with an injection. Areas of application for aloe really hit:

Gastroenterology. Aloe juice normalizes bowel function, because it is used as a laxative, choleretic agent. Drugs with juice and aloe oil are used to treat gastritis, enterocolitis, ulcerative colitis and stomach ulcers.
Dermatology. This plant is of great benefit in the treatment of skin diseases. Aloe oil has anti-inflammatory and bactericidal effects, so it is used to treat burns, wounds, rashes, acne and pressure sores. The substances contained in the pulp of the plant contribute to the production of immune cells that repair damaged skin areas.
Ophthalmology. Aloe juice is very often used to treat conjunctivitis, inflammation of the mucous membrane, myopia, cataracts. The plant contains vitamin A, which improves blood circulation to the retina and tissues surrounding the eyes.
Cardiology. This plant is often used to treat cardiovascular diseases. It contains enzymes that lower the level of bad cholesterol and sugar. The use of aloe gel reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

This plant does not seem so indispensable from the outside, but if you think about it, then a large number of diseases can be prevented or their spread can be stopped.

In folk medicine

Many experts recommend the use of aloe juice in pulmonary tuberculosis. To prepare the drug, you need to take and mix:

100 g butter;
15 grams of juice;
100 grams of honey;
100 grams of cocoa.

This mixture must be mixed and taken three times a day in a tablespoon, washed down with hot milk. You can use aloe as a laxative, but for this you need to mix:

150 grams of aloe leaves;
300 gr of honey.

The crushed leaves are poured with warmed honey, after which the mixture is infused for a day. This medicine should be taken in the morning before eating a teaspoon.

The main types and photos of flowers

Many biologists have more than 300 varieties of aloe, but as a room representatives should be allocated only a few copies.

Tree

Such a plant has the name agave and is the most common and common flower in homes. This species has the largest mass of greenery and reaches almost a meter in height.

The present

Like that the plant is popular in cosmetology. It is popularly called aloe vera. It grows with rosettes with a small trunk.

Soapy

The representative of indoor flora is among the favorites, because it refers to flowering aloe. This plant can conquer others with its appearance even without a beautiful flower.

Motley

There are stripes on the leaves, so the plant is often called a tiger. This plant also refers to flowering.

Awesome

On the edge of the leaves are sharp spikes, so the flower got its name.

Miniature

The representative of aloe is small in size, but the leaves are still fleshy and strong.

Aloe has very close relatives who are also unpretentious in care and outwardly similar. Haworthia and Gasteria are insanely similar to aloe, so you can often even confuse them.

About all the colors similar to aloe, we wrote here.

Care

Aloe is not a very whimsical plant, but you should still follow certain recommendations so that the representative of the flora does not suffer. All About Aloe Vera Care:

Location and lighting. The flower loves sunlight, but nevertheless it should be darkened a little during the day. In summer, it is best to expose the potter to fresh air.
Temperature. For aloe, the temperature that is acceptable to all living in the house will be suitable. It is considered optimal at + 22-25 ° C, and in winter the plant survives at rates up to + 10 ° C.
Air humidity. The plant is still dry air or moist, so it does not need additional spraying.
Watering. This succulent can safely do without water for a long time. Moisturize the soil only when it dries.
Fertilizing and fertilizers. You need to feed the plant once a month, during the growing season. Used for this mineral complex.
Transfer. A young plant should be replanted once a year, and an adult once every few years. You can use a special primer for succulents.

It is also important to know about what diseases can threaten aloe and how to deal with them. This is described in detail here.

Watch a video on how to properly care for scarlet and what conditions he needs:

Breeding

Propagation of an indoor medicinal aloe plant can take place using cuttings or seeds.

Experienced flower growers are well aware that the plant that released the seeds into the soil is better, but grafting is very common.

At home, you can grow a completely healthy plant, which will not only delight others with its appearance, but also treat the owner of many diseases.

The method for reproduction can be chosen by anyone that you like best, but the best time to propagate aloe is March-May or July-August.

About the cultivation and propagation of aloe is written here.

Fertilizer application

A plant without problems can be a great fertilizer for other flowers.. All nutrients contained in the juice have a positive effect on the growth and development of indoor flora. Is it possible to soak seeds in aloe juice? It is even recommended to do this, because all the vitamins and minerals will go to the seeds and they will grow faster (read about soaking the seeds in aloe juice in our material).

Learning to cook a growth stimulator from aloe juice:

In the world there are a lot of flowers that are similar in appearance to aloe. The most common include Agave, Gehtia, Haworthia, Ariocarpus. These plants have the same large, fleshy leaves with small spikes.