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Aloe Vera, or Aloe, is a well known herbal medicine due to the skin saving properties of the gel it produces

         Aloe Barbadensis

Plant type: Semitropical succulent             Growing Zone 10-11

Aloe Vera plants are succulents consisting of 95% water, and are extremely frost tender. If they are grown outdoors in warm climates, they should be planted in full sun, or light shade. Established plants will survive a drought quite well, but water should be provided.

Aloe plants should be planted in soil that is moderately fertile and well drained. Inside in the pot, leave your Aloe plant near a window that gets a lot of sun.

Aloe is propagated by removing the offsets which are produced around the base of mature plants, when they are a couple inches tall (or larger). They may also be grown from seed, then replanted to pots or if climate permits, to your herb garden.

Aloe Vera, commonly know as "Aloe, originated in Africa.

The aloe plant has been a recognized herbal remedy for burns, poison ivy and cuts for thousands of years. Aloe Vera and aloe were recorded by the Greeks as useful in treating wounds and to clear blemishes.

Do not confuse Aloe Vera juice with Aloe Vera gel

The juice is extracted from the green of the leaf itself. The gel flows from inside the leaf when broken off.

Fresh Aloe Vera Gel is so widely used that many households have an Aloe Vera plant on a windowsill for easy availability. Simply break off a tip of a leaf of the aloe plant and squeeze the gel it produces onto any wound, cut, burn or blemish. It is most effective when fresh from the aloe plant.

Aloe Vera gel is touted in folklore as containing tissue restorative properties, and has drawn scientific backing as an anesthetic. Aloe also soothes itching and burning. It  is commonly added to lotions and creams, as well as ointments used to treat sunburn, blisters and cold sores.

Aloe Vera juice is also recommended by some for ailments such as colds, asthma and constipation, but there is no scientific evidence supporting its use for these problems.

Thomas Kueny - Publisher - www.growing-herbs.com