aloe vera (Aloe vera) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Aloe vera is a commonly grown as a U.S. houseplant and outdoors in warm regions. Its thick leaves contain clear gel inside and yellow sap near the outer layer. Eating the yellow sap can cause cramps or diarrhea, and the plant is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten.

Appearance

Growth form: This succulent forms a cluster of thick leaves around a very short stem and can reach about 2–3 ft (0.6–0.9 m).
Leaves: Long, fleshy leaves have small pale teeth along the edges and clear gel inside. Yellow sits closer to the outer leaf.
Flowers: Mature plants can send up tall spikes of yellow to orange tubular flowers.

Look-alikes

candelabra aloeAloe arborescens

Aloe vera keeps its leaves close to a very short stem. Candelabra aloe develops a visible, branching shrub-like stem and commonly has red-orange flowers.

Why they get mixed upBoth have fleshy, toothed leaves.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: houseplants
warm-climate gardens
Range: Native to northern Oman on the Arabian Peninsula, it is cultivated widely. It can grow outdoors in U.S. hardiness zones 10–12; it is also recorded as introduced in Florida, Texas, Arizona, and Hawaii.
Preferred conditions: It grows best in bright light and fast-draining soil.

Growing it

Care: Let the potting mix dry between waterings; water less in winter. Root rot can follow repeated overwatering.
Propagation: Small shoots grow beside the parent plant and can be separated to start new plants.
Toxicity: Eating the yellow latex can cause cramps or diarrhea. The plant is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten.

Name and classification

About the name: Aloe barbadensis is an older scientific name for this species. Barbados aloe is another common name. Aloe vera chinensis is a separately recognized variety often called Chinese Aloe. It is also called true aloe.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

Culture and stories

Culture and stories: The clear leaf gel is used in commercial skin products.

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