A common medicinal herb, the aloe vera plant is frequently used in many households around the globe.

Unique to many domesticated plants, the aloe vera plant no longer thrives in the wild. It is currently only known to live in captivity or cultivated by people for commercial use. This alone makes the aloe vera unique in the world of environmental sciences.

There are many properties of the aloe vera plant, ranging from the soothing of burns, the promotion of faster healing to the treatment of diabetes. As the stalks include several medical compounds, including acetylated mannans, polymannans, anthraquinone C-glycosides, anthrones and anthraquinones and lectins, companies tend to add aloe to their products as additional enticement.

The aloe vera plant is a succulent plant, which thrives in zones 8-10. It is suitable as an ornamental plant for low-water gardens, as well as indoors. Aloe does not tolerate snow or frost, dying under such conditions. If you want to keep aloe in colder climates, it must be kept inside or in a greenhouse to prevent frost from killing it.

Being a succulent, the aloe vera plant resembles cacti and other well known desert plants. As it is suited for dry climates, the exposure to too much water will cause the death of this plantover watering is the most common killer of this plant. As the aloe vera plant should only be watered when its soil is dry, it is one of the easiest plants to tend. The dirt used for potted aloe vera should be compatible with good drainage, as too much sitting water will cause root rot.

When grown at home, the aloe vera plant is typically used as a topical treatment for burns and cuts. Studies are conflicked on aloe vera affects the rate of healing. There are some indicators that the rate of healing may be dependent on the type and depth of the cut, and how it is bandaged. Some studies state that the cure rate is slowed from aloe vera. Aloe vera may also be digested as a general cure.

Despite the lack of data on the increased healing and other properties of aloe vera, it has gained a good reputation by the average individual, granting the a plant a place in shampoos, lotions, soaps and a wide range of cosmetics. {However, the gains garnered from the presence of aloe in these products is based on belief, not on {concrete proof|scientific proof.

The aloe vera plant is believed to have thrived in Africa, with cousins of the aloe vera plant still surviving to date. There are references to aloe in the bible, which makes it one of the oldest documented species of plants known.

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