Aloe vera: description of the plant, beneficial properties and care for it
There are indoor plants that can be found in almost every home. This is due not only to appearance, but also to medicinal and beneficial properties some potted crops. If there is a child or a frequently ill adult in the house, then there must be a flower in it - a pharmacy, which, in fact, is aloe vera, a description of the plant is given below.
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Description of aloe vera
The Aloe genus is part of the Asphodelaceae family and includes more than five hundred species of succulent herbaceous perennials and shrubby forms. Distribution area - Africa and nearby islands. Thanks to its unpretentiousness and unique appearance, several dozen forms have found their place in indoor and decorative floriculture. Aloe vera or true aloe is one of the most popular representatives of the genus.
Currently, the flower grows wild only in the Canary Islands. In other places, including the American continent, it was brought by humans several centuries ago. Now it is widely grown as a cultivated plant. This succulent is exceptionally adapted to survive in the harshest conditions of drought and large differences in day and night temperatures.
Aloe grows quite successfully in poor soils. If it is torn out of the ground, the flower will live for several months, slowly and economically using up its internal reserves.As soon as an unfavorable period begins, all the stomata on the leaves close and all the moisture and nutrients are retained inside.
Roots aloe vera poorly developed. The stem is shortened, it is almost invisible under the fleshy leaves that form a rosette. The leaf blades are dense, fleshy, with variegated spots over the entire surface. There are spines along the edge of the leaves. The width and height of an adult plant is about 0.6 m. Sooner or later, aloe produces a rather tall peduncle, 0.7 to 0.9 m.
Its tubular yellow or orange flowers are up to 3-4 cm long. They are collected in a tall arrow-shaped inflorescence. Flowers open gradually, flowering occurs from bottom to top. Rarely blooms at home. Much more often its flowers can be seen when grown outdoors in a favorable warm climate. Aloe vera is very easy to plant and grow yourself.
Necessary care when growing
Planting Aloe Vera
At home, leaf cuttings (leaf blades) can become planting material. The leaf is separated from the mother plant and kept for 6 to 10 days in a dark place. During this time, it dries out a little and this increases the chance of its successful rooting.
I bury the lower part into a damp mixture of sand and soil by 3 cm and wait for the roots to appear. However, roots form so slowly that the leaf may simply rot. It is more convenient to propagate this plant on its own by the children that form at the base of the plant. Baby aloe already looks like a small bush.
It is carefully dug up and transplanted into a small pot. The pot is filled with soil from equal parts of leaf and turf soil and 1/2 part of sand.After transplantation, the plant is watered. Until rooting, the flower is watered once every two to three days. Best time for landings - spring.
Growing and care
During cultivation, aloe needs two temperature conditions. During active growth or summer, the room with the flower should be at least + 20 + 22 degrees. During the dormant period or winter, it is enough to maintain the temperature at + 14 + 16 degrees.
The intensity of watering also depends on the season. In summer, the plant is watered either once a week, or when the soil dries to 1/3 of the volume of the pot. In winter, the plant is watered once every 15 - 20 days. But even at this time, you should not wait for the soil in the pot to completely dry out. Aloe, as a resident of warm places, is responsive to good sunlight.
In order for the flower to have a healthy appearance, in the warm season it can be placed outdoors in the garden or on the loggia. Exposure to natural sunlight can change the color of the leaves, causing them to “tan” and take on a purple hue. Two to three weeks after returning to the room, the leaves become green again.
Feed the plant with liquid fertilizing for cacti during the active growing season. The frequency of feeding is once every 15 days. At the end of summer, they stop feeding aloe completely. Many gardeners grow aloe vera for its medicinal properties. However, you can cut leaves from a young, newly planted plant only after it has taken root and begins to grow new leaves.
Medicinal properties of the plant
All the medicinal properties of aloe vera are provided by its rich chemical composition. Aloe leaves contain:
- protein compounds
- folic acid
- salicylic acid
- resinous substances
- essential oils
- glycosides
- polysaccharides
- enzymatic substances
Video about the benefits of aloe vera:
The green parts of aloe also contain vitamins, macro- and microelements:
- WITH
- E
- A
- potassium
- copper
- zinc
- cobalt
Human use aloe Faith as a medicinal plant dates back more than three thousand years. Now this plant is recognized by both folk and scientific medicine. From ancient times to the present day, aloe juice and leaves have been used:
- as an anti-inflammatory agent for skin diseases
- to relieve inflammation and pain in hearing diseases
- as an appetite stimulant
- as a wound healing agent
- for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases
- as an antitussive
- with general weakness and loss of strength
- during the rehabilitation period after surgery and injuries
- for runny nose and sore throat
Aloe juice is easily diluted with water and, thanks to this property, is widely used in cosmetics as an alternative to fat-based creams. Important! Like any medicine, aloe vera has a number of contraindications for use. This is primarily the period of pregnancy and breastfeeding. In the first case, using aloe preparations can cause bleeding, and in the second, it can cause allergies in the child or provoke diarrhea.
Do not take aloe during periods of exacerbation of hemorrhoids or cholecystitis. In addition, the active substances of aloe juice very often cause severe allergies. Despite the listed contraindications, aloe faith helps most people and is a medical emergency for many situations that can "just grow in a pot."
Comments
Aloe was often used to treat a child’s throat, mixed in equal parts with honey and given a spoonful in the morning. It healed well and helped cope with tonsillitis.This plant also helps a lot with any cuts with suppuration. It is worth applying the leaf to the damaged area at night, in the morning the inflammation goes away and the purulent process stops.
Aloe has many species and they are even different in appearance, some species have long leaves, others have short ones, some have white spots or pimples on the leaves, others have smooth leaves. Do they all have medicinal properties?
Yes, it seems that medicinal aloe is the only one. With long leaves and spines along the edge of the leaf. It seems to be called scarlet tree. The rest act as ornamental plants.
I agree with you, almost completely respected by me, irinaaa2506, this is exactly what is growing here. We infuse it with alcohol and lubricate it, for example in the summer, against mosquito bites and other flying bugs.