Aloe vera is not only valued as an unusual-looking houseplant, but above all because of the active ingredients it contains. It is an ancient medicinal and useful plant whose origin is not clearly determined.
Where does the aloe vera plant come from?
The origin of aloe vera cannot be precisely determined, but it was already used in the 2nd and 3rd millennium BC. used in India and Babylonia. Today, aloe vera is grown commercially in tropical and subtropical regions such as the USA, Mexico, Caribbean, Africa, Spain, Canary Islands and India.
Origin and distribution
Aloe vera belongs to the genus Aloes from the subfamily Asphodeloideae. The aloe plants were used in medicine and as incense as early as the 2nd and 3rd millenniums BC in India and Babylonia. The dark brown, fragrant wood of the aloe, which was chewed by the Greeks and Romans in ancient times and later also in Byzantium to care for the respiratory system, was particularly valued and paid for dearly. Even back then, aloe was used in the production of fine ointments.
Aloe came to Europe through the Arabs during the Crusades. In the Middle Ages it was grown in monastery gardens as a healing plant. Aloe appears in Anglo-Saxon literature as early as the 10th century, and in German pharmacopoeias since the 12th century. Century. The bitter juice was occasionally used as a substitute for hops in beer production and as a remedy for burns in the 19th century.
Use and growing countries
The gel, which is obtained from the leaves of real aloe vera, is used in the production of cosmetics, food and dietary supplements and in pharmaceuticals. For this reason, aloe vera is grown for commercial purposes in many tropical and subtropical climates:
- Southern USA, Mexico, Caribbean,
- Africa,
- Spain and Canary Islands,
- India.
You can also use the leaves of your indoor aloe for burns, injuries and skin irritations. It has a cooling, calming, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effect.
Tips & Tricks
The wild aloe species have been protected by the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species since 1973.
