The Benefits of Aloe Vera

Have you ever heard of the Aloe vera plant? People use it for a variety of purposes. In this article, I will describe the Aloe vera plant and its benefits.

The Aloe vera plant is a type of succulent that grows in warm environments. It is fairly common to see one in south Texas or other similar locales. Aloe veras can be grown as a potted plant or outdoors in the ground. Just make sure that you cover the Aloe vera if it's going to freeze.

Aloe veras can be grown inside your home as well, but I have found it difficult to sustain them indoors. Whenever I tried growing Aloe veras indoors, the plants would simply not mature. The Aloe vera didn't die(unless I over watered them), they just would not grow. I believe the problem was that the Aloe veras needed more heat; temperatures in the eighties and nineties are ideal for them.

Aloe vera plants are usually green, and have small thorns on the edges of the leaves. The thorns are not that big of a deal, and they are easy to avoid. The skin of the Aloe vera plant also has milky white splotches on it. This colorful mixture makes the Aloe vera highly coveted by people who want to use it for decorative purposes.

When the Aloe vera plants reach a certain age, they produce an orange, yellow, or red flower. The conditions have to be nearly perfect for the Aloe vera to produce any flora. In my opinion, the flower resembles honeysuckle blossoms. But the flower doesn't seem to give off a scent, unlike the honeysuckle.

Aloe vera plants are easy to propagate. Once the plants mature, they start to produce new Aloe vera plants. After these Aloe vera cuttings grow a few inches, you should remove them from the adult plant. If you don't, the cuttings will drain the resources of the adult plant. These cuttings will not kill the adult plant, but they will slow its growth.

What about the medicinal uses that everyone is always raving about? It's true; Aloe veras do have medical uses. Aloe veras are great for insect bites, infections, softer skin; etc. You will often find the Aloe vera juice to be a part of moisturizers, conditioners, soaps; etc. Some Asian countries even drink the Aloe vera juice in teas and other drinks.

To treat a wound with the Aloe vera plant, simply cut off one of the leaves from the main plant. Then, slice open the leaf until some of the juice leaks out. After this, simply apply the juice to your wound or insect sting. The Aloe vera juice is a sticky sap, but it doesn't burn or hurt at all. It just feels gooey.

The sap will eventually dry, and you can then bandage the wound. For insect stings, you should feel less pain in a few minutes after applying the sap. As I mentioned in another article, the Aloe vera sap is even effective against scorpion bites. Trust me; scorpion bites hurt!

Where can you purchase Aloe veras? Most nurseries carry them, and so do stores such as Walmart or Target. You could also just find a mature Aloe vera in the wild, and snatch a few of the baby plants for yourself. However, be sure that you don't just snap off a leaf.

Aloe vera leaves will not put out roots; you need the stem for that purpose. Just dig an inch or two into the soil, and yank on the baby Aloe vera's root. The root will make a snapping sound, and you should be able to see a brown stem with some tiny white roots come up from the soil. Or there may be no white roots; it doesn't really matter. As long as you see the brownish stem, the plant should do well.

To grow the baby Aloe vera, simply stick it in some soil. That's it. Just make sure you water the plant albeit more often then you normally would because the baby Aloe vera will not have much in the way of roots. But after a month or so, the plant should start to grow taller and new roots will form. Oh, and you may want to brace the baby Aloe vera with something to keep it from falling over.

The Aloe vera plant is very useful for relieving pain from insect bites or other injuries. It is also fairly attractive, and can be used for decorative purposes. Check the ingredients in your soap or other similar products; you might be surprised to see the Aloe vera sap mixed in.

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