From the Aloe family and cousin of aloe vera, today we are going to talk about Aloe arborescens. It is one of the two hundred varieties of the Aloe plant. This plant is well known for having great medicinal properties. It resembles a cactus and produces lovely red flowers in winter.
This is a plant worth having for its great properties. If you want to learn to take care of it and get to know it in depth, you just have to keep reading 🙂
General characteristics
It is native to South Africa. It has quite remarkable characteristics to provide the human body with a complete range of phytonutrients. What's more, possesses nutraceutical properties to keep the immune system healthier. It helps us enormously to eliminate waste particles that the body stores by default. When our body is altered, the Aloe arborescens returns the body to a normal state and function.
It is a fairly well-known plant on the Mediterranean coast. It can multiply and grow at an accelerated rate without any care. The same goes for the rest of the aloes in your family. This makes it widely used in gardening.
It is also known by the name of octopus. Unlike the rest of the Aloes grows in the form of a bush. It can reach up to 4 meters in height, which makes it a huge bush. Its leaves grow in the shape of a rosette and are elongated and fleshy.
The flowers are deep scarlet orange, are usually erect and when they open, they slant downwards. As for its fruit, it is contained in a capsule and usually has enough seeds. Flowering takes place in winter.
Cultivation needs
For this specimen to grow properly it needs a sandy soil that has good drainage. If we don't want it to start to wither and end up rotting, we must avoid excess water. By watering it abundantly until it is completely soaked, the only thing we can do is make it in danger. It is quite resistant to drought, so if we see that it is dry, we should not worry too much.
As for the amount of light you need, it is best to have them in direct light or semi-shade. If it's not getting all the light it needs, it will turn brown. This is an indication that the plant is not totally healthy. It will help us to know if the care we are giving you is ideal.
Many hobby gardeners think that plants require a lot of nutrients. Therefore, they use large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers. However the Aloe arborescens does not need compost. Using some fertilizers in the spring growing season is enough.
So as not to drown it unnecessarily, just water it once a week. But it only has to be watered in summer. In winter it can endure with the humidity of the environment and rainwater.
If you live in a colder region, you should bear in mind that it does not resist frosts of up to -4 degrees. Below these temperatures it will die. If we want to reproduce the plant, it can be done through seeds and cuttings. It can be perfectly placed and adapted both in pots, as well as on balconies and gardens.
All these characteristics make the Aloe arborescens be widely used.
Medicinal uses of Aloe arborescens
As mentioned before, this plant has very beneficial characteristics for health. Due to its narrow leaves and its lower amount of gel, it is hardly used industrially. However, for home use it can come in handy.
It is ideal for the following uses:
- It works like a antibiotic, astringent, moisturizer, skin anti-inflammatory.
- It is excellent for treating burns of various types. This is because it promotes healing and reduces microbial growth.
- For those with acne, this plant relieves insect bites, eczema, and wounds. It is also good for preventing wrinkles and dryness. It is considered, along with Aloe vera, as one of the best natural cosmetic products.
- It is excellent for hair care.
- Helps maintain healthy immune system.
- It allows the elimination of waste particles in the body and to detoxify.
- It is excellent for the treatment of constipation, gastritis and ulcers.
- Fight and relieve hemorrhoids.
- It is ideal for muscle punches and strains.
- Improves the effects of chemotherapy.
If we want to obtain the benefits of this octopus plant we need to apply them in creams, massage liquids, body lotions, skin masks or facial cleansers. These products are made from the gel obtained from its leaves.
Ornamental use
Apart from its medicinal uses, it is also used as ornamentation. Its flower has a very intense and precious color which makes it a decorative tool. If you place it in the garden you will have a great landscape with a fairly simple maintenance.
In addition, this plant is perfect if you want to attract insects such as butterflies and bees that pollinate other plants. These insects are attracted to the taste of delicious nectar. It also attracts some birds.
Thank you very much for the information, we believed that barbadensis was the best species because they sell it in supermarkets here in Chile, but I read that arborescens has more properties and at least where I live is full of them, they grow very fast and they do not require much care, at home we usually use the gel directly on the skin for acne or on the scalp when it is dry or in cases of psoriasis, also in the summer for sunburns, I think I will dare to consume it in juices.
Hello Lorena, regarding the use of this plant I have a question ... do the leaves have gel or pulp? because you can see that they are very thin ... and how do you apply it to the scalp? Did you manage to make juices with it? I consume aloe vera, the green one with white spots and its taste is quite pleasant .. Tell me the results ..