Therapeutic and decorative succulents of the southern hemisphere: species of aloe
Worldwide, you can count more than 300 species of plants that grow at home or in the wild. Aloe originally appeared in South America, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. In height, some varieties reach more than 15 meters, but at home such indicators are much lower.
Different types of aloe, having a common set of characteristics, while maintaining the uniqueness of the variety, which makes it a popular indoor plant.
What are the varieties of a medicinal plant?
Experienced flower growers mainly grow this plant as a medicinal, but there are varieties that are decorative.Breeders spend a lot of time developing new, unique varieties. They differ from each other in size, leaf shape and color, but nevertheless, they still attract the attention of people around.
Due to its unrivaled composition Aloe is actively used in the field of cosmetology and medicine. It is grown without problems at home and is actively used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of diseases. Before using the plant, it is imperative to consult a doctor.
Do all of them have healing properties, which are decorative?
What types of home succulent, presented in the photo below, are considered medicinal, that is, what flower is needed for cosmetology and human treatment?
Aloe vera
This variety is often used in medicine and cosmetology. In appearance, it is similar to a bush. The leaves are adjacent to the base of the stem, they are very dense and quite long. Reach 50 cm and have an incredibly green color with a slight haze.
On the edges of the leaves of aloe vera are soft spikesthat are committed are not dangerous.
If you properly care for aloe vera, then this plant can bloom in winter. A small arrow with a bud leaves from the base.Petals in shape resemble tubules of yellow and orange.
We suggest watching a video about the Aloe Vera plant:
Agave
One of the most popular aloe varieties can be found in every home. In the wild, such a plant can reach almost 5 meters in height.
At home, the agave reaches only 70 centimeters. The trunk of the agave stands straight, and over time it is exposed and covered with small scars.At the very base, rosettes are formed for vegetative propagation. The leaves are arranged alternately and have a slight waxy coating. The agave in the inflorescences collected red and orange flowers.
We offer you to see the form about the plant Agave and its beneficial properties:
Awesome
This powerful plant has a single stem, which under good conditions reaches up to 3 meters in height. At the very top of the plant is a rosette, which consists of green leaves.
The plant got its name because of the red-brown spikes, 6 mm long. An inflorescence develops from the center of the outlet, which has from 5 to 12 brushes.The flowers are red and orange in a tubular shape. Awesome aloe juice is used in medicine and cosmetology.
Classification of varieties of indoor flowers, how they look, name and photo
Aloe is a succulent, so this plant can adapt to absolutely any conditions. To date, there are many types of aloe that turn out to be small herbaceous plants or huge trees.
Broadleaf
Broadleaf Aloe is perennial with elongated creeping stems. In length, they can reach up to 3 meters. Initially, the stem is erect, but with time it stretches to the ground, leaning to the side.
The broadleaf species of aloe has broad leaves with a significant blue tint.A characteristic of the flower is the presence of yellowish spikes on the tips of the leaves.
Spotted
A variety of succulents has a short stem, which reaches a height of no more than 50 centimeters.
The leaves of Spotted Aloe can be up to 12 centimeters wide, forming spiral rows.Spotted Aloe leaf surface covered with white spots. They merge into small stripes with blurry edges. Coloring of flowers can be yellow, pink, red.
Marlot
The shrub does not curl, but in height it can reach up to 4 meters. The leaves have a dark green color, and red spikes are located on the edges, which are not dangerous to others.
Over time, Marlota's leaves fall off, but new ones do not appear in their place. The plant is more like a palm tree, therefore it is common in the mountains of Africa.A huge amount of this aloe in a certain area forms an impenetrable forest.
Perfoliata
Aloe Perfoliata - bushy plant, perennial with elongated dense leaves. The stalk is slightly shortened and nevertheless forms rosettes from jagged leaves.
The color of the succulent is gray or green with a pink border. Aloe of this species is widely used in cosmetology as an effective healing agent for a variety of skin lesions.Succulent is a wonderful decoration of landscape design.
Polyphylla
For home growing, Aloe Polyphylla is best suited.
Polyphylla bloom can be seen once every several decades, so the main level of care remains.This fast-growing succulent reaches a height of almost 90 centimeters. The leaves are juicy, strong with small spikes along the edge.
Ferox
Such a plant is rare in nature, so it is included in the list of endangered flowers. Aloe can grow up to several meters in height.
Ferox has large and thick leaflets that are located in sockets. There are red and brown spikes at the edges, but they are also located in the upper and lower surface of the plant.On erect peduncles are red and orange flowers. Such succulents are easily cultivated on plantations, because they have unique medicinal characteristics.
These plants prefer a dry climate of tropical territories. It is better to plant seedlings in open areas and sandy soil. If you follow the level of lighting and watering, you can achieve fast flowering.
Humilis
A perennial, herbaceous plant forms certain groups, because the root system is branched and intertwined.
Khumilis has linear leaves, they do not reach a length of more than 10 centimeters. Their width is impressive and can reach up to 16 centimeters.A distinctive feature of the variety is the presence of gray-green leaves. Their surface is quite tender, but with the presence of denticles. Aloe has a flower stalk of no more than 30 centimeters, but flowers can grow up to 4 centimeters. The plant blooms with a beautiful coral shade, but sometimes you can find orange flowers.
Black jam
The variety has no stem, so the plant belongs to grassy subspecies.
Reaches a height of aloe no more than a meter. This plant has dark green leaves with a deltoid shape.A feature of such a flower is the presence of thorns on the back of the leaves. Like many types of aloe, such a flower was bred in Africa. This variety is the result of breeding work.
Soapy
Soap aloe - perennial has a certain number of shoots. The stem is short, and also it may be absent altogether. The leaves are dark green with small brown spikes. During flowering, you can observe quite large flowers of a yellow and red hue.
The sharpest
Such a plant can be conditionally classified as a medicinal one, because it is used in medicine and cosmetology. Before use, it is worth consulting a doctor to know the dosage and all norms of use. The stem is densely branched with juicy, large leaves. On them, sharp thorns can be observed that can damage surrounding plants, so it is better to plant aloe separately.
Cap-shaped
Cap aloe - a perennial flower that belongs to herbaceous species. It can reach a height of up to 2 meters. The leaves are ovoid, juicy and durable with white teeth. On the other hand, spines grow that are sharp enough.
Flowering cap-shaped aloe may occur in winter.The flowers are mainly scarlet, but you can find bright yellow shades.
Spinous
The plant does not have a stem, and the leaves are neatly collected in a rosette. The name of this aloe was due to the presence of filamentous antennae. They grow on the sharp tips of the leaves.
Over time, the leaves of the spinous Aloe dry and fall off. New formations rarely appear in their place.Spinous aloe at home blooms much more often than others. This throws an orange color. Reproduction occurs vegetatively using children.
Motley
A decorative look of aloe, which has a triangular rosette and small leaves. On them you can notice white spots that smoothly turn into stains. Aloe of this subspecies often blooms at home, and the color may be pink or burgundy.
You will find more information about the beautiful and healing aloe pestle in a separate article.
Striped
Striped aloe has a wonderful view.. It reaches a height of no more than 30 centimeters. The stem is quite shortened, large leaves of elongated shape are attached to it. They are light green with white stripes.
Mix
Experienced breeders and flower growers often experiment by combining several species into one, getting a specific mix. Thus, you can get quite an interesting plant. In this case, flowers of different shades and sizes may predominate. From the side it turns out quite an interesting composition that will delight people around. We talked about the unusual aloe mix in this material.
Conclusion
Aloe is an unpretentious plant that is able to accumulate moisture in the leaves. A flower can survive in almost any environment., and the healing properties of some species are incomparable with most plants.