Aloe vera is one of the plants with the most beneficial and medicinal properties that can be found in nature. The gelatinous substance that its leaves contain is healing, astringent and useful to prevent and treat a multitude of ailments. However, not all varieties of aloe are cultivated for this reason: some hardly have some medicinal properties, but they are highly appreciated decoratively, and this succulent or crass plant is undoubtedly very beautiful.
How many varieties of aloe vera are there? There are more than 300, but if you want to know some of the most popular, join us in this Green Ecologist article and discover 10 types of aloe vera.
Aloe arborescens
Also frequently called candlestick aloe or octopus plant, this variety can reach heights of up to 4 meters. Its fleshy leaves are glaucous green and have serrated edges. The flowers grow on a lateral stem of just over half a meter and are highly decorative due to their intense red or orange color. It is an antibiotic, astringent, skin anti-inflammatory and moisturizer.
Aloe barbadensis miller
This is the most popular of aloes and is known for that as Common Aloe Vera, Aloe, Acivar, or Barbados Aloe, among others. It is the richest variety in medicinal properties and is used in the preparation of all kinds of personal hygiene products. The leaves of the plant show white spots when it is young, but they disappear as it matures.
If you have this plant at home, do not hesitate to take advantage of its properties using its gel. Here you can learn how to make homemade aloe vera gel.
Aloe aristata
Aloe aristata is one of the smaller size between the aloes, its leaves forming a rosette that very rarely exceeds 30 cm in diameter. It is also called lace aloe or guinea fowl aloe and its sawn leaves they have a very particular pattern of small white spots. It bears a remarkable resemblance to the haworthia plant and produces large orange flowers, very useful in attracting pollinating animals. Its roots have healing properties.
If you like this variety of aloe, do not hesitate to consult this care guide for aloe aristata.
Aloe striata
The call coral aloe It receives this name from the soft pink tone that its leaves adopt, it starts out green with a pink border and little by little the whole leaf turns this tone. The name of coral is also given by the striking red-orange color of its flowers. It is also a small aloe, although not as much as the aristata: the rosettes of aloe striata reach 45 cm in diameter and its leaves have no thorns.
Aloe variegata
The aloe variegata It is very popular to have at home for decorative purposes, and this is as much for its simple care as for its little size, with leaves up to 15 cm in length. It is a very beautiful and striking aloe, which is commonly called aloe tiger or partridge chest. Its inflorescence reaches about 30 cm in height, of a very pretty pink or salmon color. It blooms in winter and spring and supports indoor growing very well.
Aloe juvenna
Juvenna is very similar to common aloe or barbadensis, with the difference that it is much smaller in size. Its leaves are toothed and with light spots, as in the common, and gives rise to inflorescences in the shape of small orange or red bells very decorative. In winter it seems to die, but in spring and summer it sprouts again strongly. It is often called dwarf aloe.
Aloe brevifolia
Also called crocodile tooth aloe, Aloe brevifolia stands out for its striking leaves, tipped and with teeth both on the edges and on the underside, which form a very striking compact pineapple. In spring, it produces bright red flowers in a narrow bell, supported by a stem of up to half a meter.
Aloe ciliaris
The climbing aloe is, indeed, a climbing plant, which can reach sizes of up to 10 meters. It has narrow and lanceolate leaves, with serrated edges and covered with white teeth. It is usually used ornamentally to decorate rockeries or slopes, especially in very dry areas, where it develops without problems.
We recommend you discover these other 24 climbing plants.
Aloe ferox
It is also known as cape aloe or fierce aloe and it is a single-stemmed variety that can reach heights of more than 2 meters, giving it the appearance of a small tree. It is very popular for its decorative use and its great resistance, and it is characterized by flowering in winter, giving rise to inflorescences of the characteristic orange color of aloes.
Aloe saporin
Aloe saponaria is another of the most popular and easy to find and receives the common name of real pita. Its large and especially fleshy leaves are bluish-green or reddish-colored, with spiny edges and light spots. It is a kind of aloe that grows best in pot.
Aloe vera care
The general aloe vera care They can be grouped into their two basic needs: drainage and sun, but now we will comment on several aspects.
This crass plant does not tolerate excess humidity, so it is vital that both indoors and outdoors it has a soil that offers the best possible drainage, or it is very likely that its roots will rot. For the same reason, the risks must be moderate, always without flooding and without overdoing it. The ideal in your case is drip irrigation.
Aloe need also lots of sunlight, even direct, unless our climate is especially hot or with very intense sun. If your leaves turn brown, the plant is probably getting too much sun. Its ideal temperature is between 17 and 27 ºC.
For the rest, by fertilizing it at the beginning of spring and at the end of summer with specific fertilizer for succulent plants or enriching its soil or substrate with worm humus and transplanting it when it runs out of space, the plant will always be in an optimal state.
Here you can learn more about aloe vera care and when and how to plant aloe vera.
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