What agaves are to America, aloes are to Africa: the most common plants in the large dry areas. Both are often confused. However, they differ in many ways, especially in their flowering behavior.
What is the difference between aloe vera and agave?
Aloe vera and agave are two different plant genera from the grass tree and asparagus families, respectively. Aloe vera blooms annually, while agave only blooms once in old age and then dies. Both plants have thick, water-storing leaves, but their flowers and uses differ.
Both agaves and aloes are native to tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Although the aloe and the agave could be confused in terms of their appearance, they have a crucial difference: the aloe blooms every year once it reaches sexual maturity, while the agave usually only produces conspicuous inflorescences once in old age, often several meters high the fruit ripening dies.
Aloe plant genus
Aloe is a species-rich genus from the grass tree family. Its origin is believed to be in Africa. Aloes were already used as medicinal plants in ancient times. Its main features are:
- thick, water-storing leaves with thorny teeth on the edge
- leaves arranged in a rosette shape on the trunk
- Flowers yellow, orange or red
- contains skin-caring and regenerating substances
- Juice/gel has a laxative effect
- sensitive to frost
Agave plant genus
Agave is also a separate genus from the asparagus family. It is also called the “century plant” because it takes several decades to produce inflorescences. Its key features include:
- thick-fleshed, thorny, sometimes even edge-thorny leaves
- Leaves form a basal rosette
- flowers only once in old age and then dies off
- Juice is used to make the Mexican national drink Pulque
- Agave syrup as an alternative sweetener
- Sisal is made from the fibers
- Partly frost-resistant down to -15 ° Celsius
Tips & Tricks
If you are not sure which of the two plants you have, you should carefully observe the flowering behavior. The flowers of the agave appear from the center of the plant. The aloe pushes its flowers from the sides of the axillae.
