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Aloe vera
Also called True Aloe, Curaçao Aloe, West Indian Aloe, Aloe, Barbados Aloes, Common Aloes, Indian Aloe
In Singapore: Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Medicinal Aloe, Burn Plant, 芦荟 (Cultivated in Singapore)
Aloe vera is a stemless or short-stemmed succulent perennial that spreads by offsets and is widely grown as a houseplant and for its gel. The key to growing it is bright light and a fast-draining mix, allowing the soil to dry fully between waterings.
Aloe vera () is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It is widely distributed and is considered an invasive species in many regions of the world.
An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula but also grows wild in other tropical, semi-tropical, and arid climates around the world. It is cultivated commercially and has been used for centuries as a topical treatment. The species is considered attractive for decorative purposes and is often used indoors as a potted plant.
Aloe vera has been widely grown as an ornamental plant, popular with modern gardeners as a topical medicinal plant and for its interesting flowers, form, and succulence. This succulence enables the species to survive in areas of low natural rainfall, making it ideal for rockeries and other low water-use gardens. It is hardy in zones 8–11 and is intolerant of heavy frost and snow. The species is relatively resistant to most insect pests, though spider mites, mealy bugs, scale insects, and aphid species may cause a decline in plant health. This plant has earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
In pots the species requires well drained, sandy potting soil and bright, sunny conditions. Aloe plants can turn red from sunburn under too much direct sun, though gradual acclimation may help. The use of a good-quality commercial propagation aoil mix or packaged "cacti and succulent mix" is recommended, as they allow for good drainage. Terra cotta pots are preferable for being porous. Potted plants should be allowed to dry completely before watering.
Orally ingested non-decolorized aloe vera leaf extract was listed by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment among "chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity", possibly resulting from the anthraquinones.
Since 2016 aloe vera whole leaf extract is classified as a possible human carcinogen (group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
Aloe vera is considered to be native to the southeastern region of the Arabian Peninsula in the Hajar Mountains in northeastern Oman and eastern U.A.E. However, since being widely cultivated around the world, the plant has become naturalized in North Africa as well as in Sudan and its neighboring countries, in the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and the Madeira Islands. It is also naturalized in the Algarve region of Portugal and in wild areas across Spain, especially in the region of Murcia.
Two substances from Aloe vera – a clear gel and its yellow latex – are used to manufacture commercial products. Aloe gel is typically used to make topical medications for skin conditions such as burns, wounds, frostbite, rashes, psoriasis, cold sores, and dry skin. Aloe latex is used individually or mixed with other ingredients to be ingested for relief from constipation. Aloe latex may be obtained in a dried form called resin or as "aloe dried juice".
Aloe aaata · Aloe aageodonta · Aloe abyssicola · Tent Cent Aloe · Spotted Aloe · African Aloe · White Grass Aloe · Aloe albiflora · Aldabra Aloe · Aloe ambigens · Aloe andongensis · Wylliespoort Aloe
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Aloe vera by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
