What agaves are to America, aloes are to Africa: the most common plants in the great arid regions. Both are often confused. However, they differ in many ways, most notably their flowering behavior.
The aloe vera is not an agave
Both agaves and aloes are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Although the aloe and the agave could be confused by their appearance, they have one crucial difference: the aloe blooms anew every year when it reaches sexual maturity, while the agave usually only forms conspicuous inflorescences several meters high in old age and after the ripe fruit dies.
plant genus of aloes
The aloe is a species-rich genus from the grass tree family. Its origin is believed to be in Africa. Aloes have been used as medicinal plants since ancient times. Their essential characteristics are:
- thick, water-retaining leaves with thorny teeth at the edges
- Leaves arranged in a rosette on the stem
- Flowers yellow, orange or red
- contains skin care and regenerating substances
- Juice/gel has a laxative effect
- sensitive to frost
Agave plant genus
The agave is also a separate genus from the asparagus family. It is also called the "plant of the century" because it takes several decades to form inflorescences. Its main features include:
- thick fleshy, thorn-pointed leaves, sometimes also with spines on the edges
- Leaves form a basal rosette
- blooms only once in old age and then dies back
- Juice is used to make pulque, Mexico's national drink
- Agave syrup as an alternative sweetener
- Sisal is made from the fibers
- partly frost-resistant down to - 15 ° Celsius
tips and tricks
If you are not sure which of the two plants you own, you should observe the flowering behavior closely. The flowers of the agave appear from the center of the plant. The aloe shoots its flowers laterally from the axillae.