The Silent Healer

Originating from the Arabian Peninsula and South Africa, there are over 500 different species of Aloe around the world. Aloe Vera has been a highly sought after plant as early as the 4th century BC, when Aristotle was a whisper in the ear to Alexander the Great in his successful conquest of Socotra in the Indian Ocean where it’s reported that various species grow. Aloe has many uses for culinary, medicinal, and cosmetic purposes.

This tender evergreen perennial is only hardy to zone 10. Aloe can be grown in ground, in a hydroponics system, or simply in a pot on your kitchen windowsill to bring a little luck. A potted Aloe in the kitchen works great for a quick response to those accidental kitchen burns and cuts. In ground plants can get a height of 2 feet with a 2 ft. spread while most potted plants are typically only 12 in. in height.

Propagate your plant by gently pulling apart the offshoots (pups as I like to call them) in the Summer, repotting in a mixture that is 2 parts potting mix to 1 part sand. Give all plant babies Full Sun, even though they can handle some partial shade, and allow the soil to be free draining. Harvest older plants as needed, the older the plant the more potent the juice. During the Winter, keep plants in a cool, bright greenhouse.

Preserving Aloe by freezing is a great way to have ready made frozen gel cubes for on the spot for any use. You can read more about how to preserve your Aloe Vera over at Learning Herbs.

Reminders for overall plant health: keep your potted soil gritty in texture, well drained, frost free, and well lit.

You can read more on propagating your aloe pups over at Use of Aloe Vera, where they have such a resourceful image that just really helps out visual learners like myself. A few additional resources include Herbs for the Home, Wiki, and more.