The aloe vera plant makes a great houseplant. It's easy to look after, and has some interesting health benefits...
 Although the aloe vera plant looks a lot like a cactus, it’s actually a member of the lily and onion family.
Usually found in hot, dry climates, such as the Mediterranean, it can however be grown successfully in the UK - as long as it's not exposed to frost.
It's a short-stemmed succulent perennial, and grows to about 85cm tall. It has thick fleshy green leaves with small spikes along the edges. These tend to grow in a rosette pattern from the base of the plant.
The aloe vera plant usually produces about 25 of these leaves at any one time, which can grow to be over to 15” long and 3” wide.
The aloe is a succulent, which means its fleshy leaves hold a lot of water for the plant, so it can survive long periods of drought. Aloe vera is now commercially grown across parts of the southern US, Mexico and the Caribbean for its beneficial side-effects, hidden within the leaves.
There are over 200 different species of aloe, although the aloe vera plant which tends to be cultivated the most often is the Aloe Barbadensis Miller, or Aloe Vera – the 'true aloe'.
Caring for Aloe Vera Plant
Although it's fairly straightforward to look after aloe vera plants, they don't like frost or too much cold weather. So I'd definitely recommend you over-winter them inside. They are hardy plants, so as soon as there is no risk of frost (!) you can place them outside again. They also like a lot of sunshine, so a sunny spot in the garden, or in a window that gets lots of sunlight is ideal. A common mistake that people make is to over-water the aloe vera plant. Remember these plants are succulents, so they hold water in their leaves and root system to survive long periods of drought, so they need less water than you might think.
You can find aloe vera plants at most good garden centres or nurseries. Look for a fair-sized, relatively mature plant about 8-12" high. Be sure the pot has good drainage and the soil is fairly sandy. As I said, don't water it too often, since this may cause the leaves at the base of the plant to rot. Allow the soil of container-grown plants to dry out before you re-water them. The plants often become dormant in winter.
Smaller plants sometimes have white marks on the leaves. These will mainly disappear as the plant grows. Once the plants are large enough, you should transplant them into larger pots, then increase the container size as they grow larger. The aloe vera plant reaches full maturity at about 4 years old, although they do grow rapidly.
Occasionally you'll find that the outer leaves may droop on the aloe plant as they age. It's easy to slice the lower leaves away with a sharp knife.
Aloe vera plants also produce lots of offshoots around the base of the plant - or 'pups' as they're called. You’ll need to remove these as soon as possible and replant them gently, when they are 3-4 inches high. If you don't they may cause the mother aloe too much stress. If you leave the pups where they are, they tend to make the aloe plant spread its leaves horizontally rather than vertically. The pups do make lovely gifts for friends and family.
With a little love and attention, aloe vera plants live for many years, and provide a great addition to your home or garden, as well as a constant supply of aloe vera gel.
 To obtain this gel, just remove one of the lower leaves, cut it in half lengthwise, and rub the inner pulp over the affected area of skin. It has it's own distinctive smell, but the effects are amazing!
For more general information about the Aloe Vera plant, or to find out about the health benefits of aloe vera gel, please see these articles:
All About Aloe Vera
The Health Benefits of Drinking Aloe Vera Juice
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