Aloe Vera – A.barbadensis Mill

I’m sure many of us are very familiar with these Aloe Vera plants. While researching for this entry, I found out that it actually belongs to lily family. The species also has many synonyms : A. barbadensis Mill., Aloe indica Royle, Aloe perfoliata L. var. vera and A. vulgaris Lam.

It has been suggested that the species is originally from Southern Africa and was introduced to China, India, Pakistan and various parts of southern Europe in the 17th century. Known for its medicinal purpose, Aloe Vera is a stemless or very short-stemmed succulent plant which can grow up to 60–100 cm. It spreads by offsets. The side of the leaf is serrated and has small white teeth.

From my experience, it is quite a hardy plant that prefers to be completely dry before re-watering. It is also resistant to many insects although mealy bugs, scale insects and aphid species may cause decline in its health.

Aloe Vera has been utilized by many for its healing benefit, mostly to cure injury and wound. The gel derived from the plant are used as a first aid for burns, injuries, eczema, sunburns, insect bites and fungal infection prevention.