Scientific Name:
Aloe vera
Pronunciation:
AL-oh-ee VEER-uh
Common Name:
healing plant
Family Name:
Asphodelaceae
Plant Type:
Indoor foliage plant, Succulent or Cacti
Key ID Features:
Leaves basal, spiraled with age, thick, sword-like, fleshy with a toothed edge; florets tubular with 6 tepals on long racemes.
Habit:
Open, Stiffly upright
Form:
Vase
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
0.4 - 0.7m
Mature Spread:
0.3 - 0.6m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
South America
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 10: (-1 to 4 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Low
Landscape Uses:
Indoor plant, Medicinal plant
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown include A. 'Barbadensis' (glaucous). Note: there are hundreds of species of Aloe and many look very similar to A. vera.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate, Spiraled, Basal
Texture/Venation:
Succulent
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Green
Shapes:
Lanceolate
Apices:
Aristate
Bases:
Sheathing
Margins:
Spinose
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
3
Corolla Shape:
Tubular
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Orange, Yellow
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Can flower any month
Additional Info:
6 tepals
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, May not form locally
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Succulent leaves
Propagation:
Division - below ground parts
Optimal Temp.:
Medium
Light Level:
High
Maintenance:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Mealybugs, Root rot, Scale insects (Drought tolerant)
