Aloe Vera, Barbados aloe, First Aid Plant, Medicinal Aloe
Aloe vera

Family: Aloeaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Orange, Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early fall, Early spring, Early winter, Late summer, Late fall, Late spring, Late winter, Mid summer, Mid fall, Mid spring, Mid winter. Aloe vera, also known as the medicinal aloe, is an evergreen perennial succulent. It is stemless or short-stemmed. Leaves are fleshy and thick with serrated margins on the leaves. It grows to 0.6 - 1m (24-39 in) tall with flower spikes up to 0.9 (35 in). Flowers are pendulous with a yellow tubular corolla to 3 cm (1.2 in). It is widely used in modern herbal practice. Edible Parts are the Leaves and Seeds. Medicinal Uses for Cancer, Emmenagogue, Emollient, Laxative, Miscellany, Purgative, Skin, Stimulant, Stomachic, Tonic, Vermifuge, Vulnerary. The clear gel contained within the leaf makes an excellent treatment for wounds, burns and other skin disorders. Yellow sap at the base of the leaf and contains anthraquinones which are a useful digestive stimulant and a strong laxative. These positive effects may be due to compounds such as polysaccharides, mannans, anthraquinones and andlectins. Other Uses include: Cosmetic and Pollution. Form: Rounded, Upright or erect.

Aloe vera is an evergreen Perennial growing to 0.8 m (2ft 7in) by 1 m (3ft 3in) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from May to June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 0.8

Where it is found

Maritime sands and rocks.

Europe - Mediterranean.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Leaves - cooked. Very bitter, they are an emergency food that is only used when all else fails. A gel in the leaves is sometimes used as an ingredient of commercial jellies. Seed. An emergency food used when all else fails. It is very unlikely that the seed will be produced in Britain.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 5

Aloe vera is a fairly well known herbal preparation with a long history of use. It is widely used in modern herbal practice and is often available in proprietary herbal preparations. It has two distinct types of medicinal use. The clear gel contained within the leaf makes an excellent treatment for wounds, burns and other skin disorders, placing a protective coat over the affected area, speeding up the rate of healing and reducing the risk of infection . This action is in part due to the presence of aloectin B, which stimulates the immune system. To obtain this gel, the leaves can be cut in half along their length and the inner pulp rubbed over the affected area of skin. This has an immediate soothing effect on all sorts of burns and other skin problems. The second use comes from the yellow sap at the base of the leaf. The leaves are cut transversally at their base and the liquid that exudes from this cut is dried. It is called bitter aloes and contains anthraquinones which are a useful digestive stimulant and a strong laxative. When plants are grown in pots the anthraquinone content is greatly reduced. The plant is emmenagogue, emollient, laxative, purgative, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, vermifuge and vulnerary. Extracts of the plant have antibacterial activity. Apart from its external use on the skin, aloe vera (usually the bitter aloes) is also taken internally in the treatment of chronic constipation, poor appetite, digestive problems etc. It should not be given to pregnant women or people with haemorrhoids or irritable bowel syndrome. The plant is strongly purgative so great care should be taken over the dosage. The plant is used to test if there is blood in the faeces. This plant has a folk history of treatment in cases of cancer. The German Commission E Monographs, a therapeutic guide to herbal medicine approve Aloe vera for constipation. In Chinese medicine it is used for fungal diseases. In Indian medicine it is used for stomach tumours, constipation, colic, skin diseases, amenorrhoea, worm infestation and infections . Chemical Constituents: **Amino acids:** Isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine **Anthraquinones:** Aloe-emodin, aloetic acid, aloin, anthracene, anthranol, barbaloin, chryscophanoic acid, emodin, ester of cinnamic acid, ethereal oil, isobarbaloin, resistannol **Enzymes:** Alkaline phosphatase, amylase, catalase, lipase, oxidase **Minerals:** Calcium, chromium, copper, magnesium, manganese, sodium, zinc **Prostanoids:** gamma-linolenic acid **Saccharides:** Aldopentose, cellulose, glucose, L-rhamnose, mannose **Vitamins:** Alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene, choline, folic acid, vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, and E **Other:** Beta-sitosterol, cholesterol, gibberellin, lignins, salicylic acid, steroids, uric acid, triglycerides

Cancer: Used in the treatment of cancer.

Emmenagogue: Promotes or increases the menstrual flow. In early stages of pregnancy it can induce an abortion.

Emollient: Softens the skin, causing warmth and moisture.

Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.

Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.

Purgative: A drastic laxative causing a cleansing or watery evacuation of the bowels, usually with a griping pain.

Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.

Stimulant: Excites or quickens activity of the physiological processes. Faster acting than a tonic but differing from a narcotic in that it does not give a false sense of well-being.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.

Vulnerary: Promotes the healing of wounds.

Other

Rating: 3

The leaf extracts are used in skin-care cosmetic products. Plants have been grown indoors in pots in order to help remove toxins from the atmosphere. It is also unusual in that it continues to release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide in the dark, making it very suitable for growing in bedrooms.

Cosmetic: Used to improve the physical appearence of a person.

Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.

Pollution: Plants used to combat pollution.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Container, Ground cover, Rock garden. Requires a well-drained soil and a very sunny position. Plants are tolerant of poor soils. If trying to grow this plant outdoors then it will need the sunniest and warmest area in the garden plus some protection from winter cold (a glass frame perhaps). This species is not very cold-hardy outdoors in Britain, it is best grown in a pot placed outdoors in the summer and put in a greenhouse for the winter. It grows very well in a sunny windowsill. Special Features:Attractive foliage, North American native, Naturalizing, Blooms appear periodically throughout the year, Attractive flowers or blooms. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is rhizomatous with underground stems sending roots and shoots along their length .

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 6 months at 16°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots of very well-drained soil when they are large enough to handle. Grow them on in a sunny part of the greenhouse for at least their first two winters. If trying them outdoors then plant them out in early summer to allow them to become established before the winter, and give them some protection from the cold in winter. Division of offsets when available, usually in spring. The plants produce offsets quite freely and they can be divided at any time of the year as long as it is warm enough to encourage fresh root growth to allow re-establishment of the plants. Pot up and grow on in the greenhouse until established.

Best place to grow: South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 9-11

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Taken by mouth may cause cramping pain in the gastrointestinal tract and diarrhoea (reduce dose). Skin rashes with long term use of gel. Rare adverse effects are on heart rhythm, kidney damage and oedema. Long term use can cause electrolytes loss esp. potassium and may therefore enhance the effect of drugs that act on the heart (e.g. digoxin) .

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Aloe barbadensis, Aloe vulgaris