Aloe vera is now cultivated on large areas worldwide as a useful and medicinal plant. Gel for the production of drinking juices and cosmetic products is obtained from aloe plants. In Germany, aloe vera is mainly cultivated as a houseplant.
In Germany, aloe vera is only kept in pots because it has to move indoors in winter
In nature, the heat-loving aloe plants are found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia and Central America. In many Mediterranean countries and on the Canary Islands, aloe vera finds optimal conditions with average year-round temperatures of around 20-25° Celsius with short periods of heavy precipitation.
As a houseplant, the real aloe impresses with its extraordinary appearance:
- Aloe vera usually grows without a stem or has a short stem on which thick leaves are arranged in a rosette,
- the leaves are about 30-60 cm long, smooth and shiny, covered with thorns and tapering to a point,
- their tubular flowers can be yellow, red, or orange.
Aloe vera plant in Germany
Even our grandmothers knew how to use the healing effect of aloe vera for skin problems such as psoriasis, neurodermatitis, burns or even digestive disorders. The easy-care plant only needs a bright and warm place and occasional but vigorous watering to thrive. It stores the water in its fleshy leaves and can thus survive for a long time without watering. It does not tolerate waterlogging. In the summer, aloe vera can stay outside, but in the winter it has to go back inside.
Aloe Vera products in Germany
You can not only buy aloe vera plants or individual leaves, but also a lot of other products made from or with aloe vera as an ingredient:
- skin and shower gel,
- toothpaste and hand cream,
- shampoo and soap,
- deodorant and tonic,
- face cream and sunscreen products,
- Not-from-concentrate juice and beverage concentrate.
tips and tricks
In ancient Egypt, aloe was mixed with myrrh and used in embalming the dead.