Aloe vera

Morphology

Cristiano, Murillo-Amador & De Lucia (2016). Propagation Techniques and Agronomic Requirements for the Cultivation of Barbados Aloe (Aloe vera (L.) Burm. F.) — A Review. Frontiers in Plant Science 7:1410, Frontiers Media · doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01410 · 2026-09-01

Perennial succulent plant that forms a basal rosette of leaves. New leaves emerge upward from the center of the rosette. In commercial cultivation, harvested mature leaves measure 60 to 80 cm in length and about 8 to 10 cm in width at the base. The flower stalk rises from the center of the basal leaves and bears yellow flowers. The fruit is triangular in shape and contains several seeds.

Reproduction and propagation

Cristiano, Murillo-Amador & De Lucia (2016). Propagation Techniques and Agronomic Requirements for the Cultivation of Barbados Aloe (Aloe vera (L.) Burm. F.) — A Review. Frontiers in Plant Science 7:1410, Frontiers Media · doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01410 · 2026-09-01

The species is generally self-incompatible: seeds are fertile only when they result from cross-pollination, which produces high heterogeneity in seed-grown populations. For this reason, traditional propagation uses lateral suckers and rhizome cuttings; each mother plant produces three to four suckers per growing season. Seed-grown plants take two to four years to reach harvest size, and the lifespan of the plant is about 12 years.

Ecophysiology

Cristiano, Murillo-Amador & De Lucia (2016). Propagation Techniques and Agronomic Requirements for the Cultivation of Barbados Aloe (Aloe vera (L.) Burm. F.) — A Review. Frontiers in Plant Science 7:1410, Frontiers Media · doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01410 · 2026-09-01

It exhibits crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), succulence and drought resistance, traits that allow cultivation in arid and semi-arid regions. It is treated as a subtropical species intolerant of low temperatures. In an experiment in the Golan Heights in 1995, plants reached commercial size with an absolute minimum of −3 °C and up to two months with temperatures at or below 4 °C (Saks and Ish-Shalom-Gordon, 1995, cited in the review).

Response to irradiance

Páez, Gebre, González & Tschaplinski (2000). Growth, soluble carbohydrates, and aloin concentration of Aloe vera plants exposed to three irradiance levels. Environmental and Experimental Botany 44(2):133–139, Elsevier · doi.org/10.1016/S0098-8472(00)00062-9 · 2026-09-01

In an experiment with vegetatively propagated plants grown for 12 to 18 months under three irradiance levels (full sun, 30% and 10% of full light), plants in full sun produced more numerous and larger axillary shoots, with twice the total dry mass of plants in partial shade. Partial shade increased the number and length of the leaves on the main shoot, but leaf dry mass remained at 66% of that obtained in full sun. In deep shade, total dry mass was 8.6% of that obtained in full sun, and root dry mass fell to 13%.

Gel composition and uses

Cristiano, Murillo-Amador & De Lucia (2016). Propagation Techniques and Agronomic Requirements for the Cultivation of Barbados Aloe (Aloe vera (L.) Burm. F.) — A Review. Frontiers in Plant Science 7:1410, Frontiers Media · doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01410 · 2026-09-01

The leaf mesophyll, known as aloe gel, is processed industrially to obtain derivatives. Among its most representative biomolecules are soluble sugars, anthraquinones, β-polysaccharides, amino acids, vitamins, glycoproteins and enzymes. Leaf extracts are used in pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food preparations, and also as fresh food. The review estimates the annual market for the succulent leaf tissue at 13 billion dollars (Grace et al., 2015), with the United States accounting for 65% and India and China for 10% each.

Similar species

PlantZAfrica — Aloe arborescens, South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) · pza.sanbi.org/aloe-arborescens · 2026-09-01

Aloe arborescens, the "krantz aloe" of South Africa, differs from Aloe vera in habit: it forms a multi-headed shrub 2 to 3 m tall, with gray-green leaves arranged in rosettes and margins armed with conspicuous pale teeth. The inflorescences, generally unbranched, appear in profusion during the cold winter months (May to July in the Southern Hemisphere), with predominantly deep orange flowers, yellow forms also occurring.