By Alexa Erickson
For thousands of years, aloe vera has been revered for its medicinal properties. When applied topically, the juice from its leaves can be used to relieve pain from burns, scrapes, and mild open wounds. The familiarity you have with aloe might only reach the formulated drugstore gels that you reach for when you're sunburnt on spring break.
The aloe vera plant, a succulent, is recognizable by its stemless or very short-stemmed leaves and each leaf features a thick, fleshy body with a light green color and serrated edges.
What’s even better is that these amazing plants can be grown right in your own home—and caring for them is easy, so long as you’re vigilant in giving them the supervision that they need to thrive. Here’s what you need to know about how to care for aloe vera plants, how to propagate aloe, and how to repot aloe when it gets home from the nursery.
Frequently asked questions
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I enjoyed your post about aloe! Could you provide more information about how to "harvest" the gel to use for medicinal purposes. Can it be stored for any length of time and if so, how? Thank you.