Barbados aloe
Aloe vera

Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae

What it is like

A perennial succulent plant 80 cm high. It spreads to 1 m wide. It develops suckers. The leaves form a rosette or ring just above the ground. They are fleshy and long. They are curved outwards or rounded underneath. They taper to a blunt point. They are smooth and pale green. There are white blotches on the leaves and prickles along the edges. The flowers are yellow or orange. They are 25-30 mm long. They hang down. The fruit is a capsule with angular seeds.

There are about 350-400 Aloe species. It is used as a medicine. Also put in the family Aloaceae. Also put in the family Asphodelaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical and subtropical plant. It grows naturally on seaside sands and amongst rocks in the Mediterranean. In Nepal it grows to about 1400 m altitude. It needs a temperature above 10°C. It suits hardiness zones 9-12. In Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Andorra, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Asia, Australia, Central America, China, Dominican Republic, EST AFRICA, Ecuador, Egypt, Europe, Fiji, France, Germany, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Hawaii, Himalayas, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mediterranean, Mexico, Micronesia, Middle East, Myanmar, Nepal, North Africa (country/location of origin), North America, Pacific, Panama, Rotuma, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, SE Asia, Slovenia, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, St Helena, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Tasmania, Trinidad, Turkey, Türkiye, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, UAE, USA, Venezuela, West Indies, Yemen

How it is used for food

The leaves are used as an emergency food only. The seed are used as an emergency food only. A gel in the leaves has been used in jellies. CAUTION:

Edible parts

Leaf bud, seeds, gel, flowers

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 6 months at 16°C. They need to be grown in a sunny nursery for 2 years. Plants can be grown by division or offsets.

Its other names

Local names

Alo, Burn aloe, Curucao aloe, Gaikwar, Ghiu kumari, Ghyukumari, Kalabanda, Kuthalay, Lidah buaya, Lu hui, Prava aloja, Saber, Savila, True aloe

Synonyms

Aloe arabica; Aloe indica Royle; Aloe barbadensis Mill. var. chinensis Haworth; Aloe perfolia var. vera L.; Aloe chinensis (Haworth)Baker; Aloe vera var. chinensis (Haworth)A.Berger; Aloe vulgaris (Lam.);