The genus Aloes from the grass tree family consists of around 500 species. The most well-known type is aloe vera or real aloe. Due to the great diversity of species, identification is not always easy.
Which plants are similar to aloe vera?
Plants similar to Aloe vera include Aloe arborescens, Aloe ferox, Aloe variegata and agave. Attention: Agaves differ significantly from aloes in terms of their active ingredients and can cause irritation if they come into contact with the skin.
Appearance of real aloe
Aloe vera has thick, lanceolate leaves with thorny toothed edges. They are about 30-60 cm long, blue-green or light spotted and arranged in rosettes at the base of the trunk. New leaves emerge from the center of the plant while the outer leaves gradually die off. This allows very old aloe plants to form a trunk over the years. In spring, the yellow, red or orange flowers appear on inflorescences that protrude high above the foliage.
Species diversity of aloe plants
Aloes form their own genus of plants, which has around 500 species. With this diversity, it is not always easy to distinguish between the individual species. In our latitudes, several of them are cultivated as houseplants. In addition to the well-known aloe vera, these are some other types of aloe:
- Aloe arborescens (tree aloe, eternal aloe)
- Aloe ferox (Cape Aloe, Wild Aloe)
- Aloe variegata (tiger aloe),
- Aloe erinacea,
- Aloe aristata,
- Aloe plicatilis,
- Aloe morijensis,
- Aloe dichotoma.
Be careful with agaves
Confusing agave with aloe vera can have unpleasant consequences. Both types of plants actually look similar. The main difference is not only that the agave dies after flowering, but above all in the active ingredients contained in the respective plant.
While the juice of the agave is mainly used to make the Mexican national drink Pulque and its fiber is used to make sisal, the gel contained in the leaves of the aloe vera is a tried and tested skin care agent and is also used to treat various Skin diseases used. If you try to soothe your sunburn with a cut agave leaf, you will find to your dismay that the burning gets worse.
Tip
All commercially available aloe plants are extremely easy to care for, making them suitable for people who are short on time. If you forget to water, Aloe doesn't mind thanks to its storage organs.
