Aloe vera seeds

Aloe vera, also known as true aloe or medicinal aloe, is famous for its medicinal properties. It is composed of a rosette of succulent and fleshy narrow and pointed leaves, greenish-grey in colour, with dentate margins. This perennial plant is frost-sensitive. In winter or spring, it adorns itself with pale-yellow to orange flower spikes, if the conditions are right. A plant of arid lands and mild climates, it thrives in rocky terrains or on gravelly embankments. It must be grown in well-drained soil, in full sun or partial shade. In regions with cold winters, grow it in pots that can be stored away during winter.

The origins of Aloe vera or Aloe barbadensis are lost in the mists of time, as it has been cultivated since antiquity, but also due to the absence of wild populations. It seems likely that this famous representative of the Asphodelaceae family originated from the Arabian Peninsula, which is also the original area of a very closely related species called Aloe officinalis. Naturalised Aloe vera plants grow in dry regions, in arid soils.

It is a succulent perennial plant with short stems, persistent leaves, and shallow roots that grow in tall clumps, ranging from 40 to 60cm (16 to 24in) in height and at least 40cm (16in) wide. They sometimes form large colonies. The alternate leaves, nestled within each other, form a rosette over time. They are narrow and pointed, wider at the base, pale-green to glaucous, with spiny toothed margins. The terminal inflorescence rises from the rosette in a lateral, not central, position. Carried at a height of 1m (3ft), the tubular flowers are grouped in racemes. They are mostly pale-yellow, sometimes speckled with purple. Flowering usually occurs in winter and spring.

In mild climates, Aloe vera can be grown in the ground as it is hardy to around -5°C (23°F). It will form beautiful clumps, with exotic appearances, in sloping or rocky well-drained soil, or even in dry stone walls. Elsewhere, it can be grown in a wider than tall pot (it multiplies very quickly) to enjoy its medicinal properties or its unique charm.

Aloe juice is contained in the pericyclic cells and flows spontaneously when the leaves are cut. Aloe gel, on the other hand, is made up of the mucilage from the polyhedral cells in the central region of the leaf.

• Aloe juice. Traditionally, the juice was harvested by allowing it to flow spontaneously from the leaves, which were incised while still attached to the plant. After drying in the heat, the dried form of the sap is used to obtain powders and tinctures, used in pharmaceutical specialties for digestive purposes.

• Aloe gel. Manual harvesting of aloe gel involves cutting the leaves longitudinally and scraping the mucilaginous central pulp. To avoid laxative effects, the gel should not contain latex. This fresh pulp quickly degrades due to oxidation when exposed to air, which limits its use to those who have fresh aloe leaves on hand. The gel is viscous, transparent, odourless, and slightly bitter.