One of our aloe vera plants has sprouted an 18-inch, flower spike from which 1-inch, yellow-orange, narrow and pendant, aromatic flowers are presently blooming. The plant in bloom is the mother plant, by the way, of several aloes that are doing double duty as house plants plus medicinal plants that naturally disinfect and soothe minor burns and abrasions.
Highly valued by the ancient Chinese, Egyptians and Greeks, the medicinal properties of aloe vera have been known for more than 6,000 years.
Today, aloe vera is the primary ingredient in oceans of lotions used to treat and soothe abrasions, acne, urns, dry skin, scalds, stings and sunburns. Even so, I prefer to rub aloe's jell-like, light-green and transparent substance found within its leaves directly from our aloe plants onto my skin.
Be careful, though, because some folks are allergic to aloe. So it would be a good idea to test a small area of skin first. Then if a rash develops, for instance, wash off the aloe with soap and water right away.
To harvest aloe, I remove part of a leaf with a sharp knife.
To apply it, I simply squeeze some of a leaf's jell onto the target area. In less than a minute, the aloe is absorbed by my skin.
Aloe vera is a succulent perennial that's a member of the lily family and native to Africa. Its long and fibrous roots produce rosettes of spear-shaped leaves that grow from 1 inch to 2 feet long. Leaves are lime-green with white dots, thick, narrow, sharply pointed and serrated.
As a house plant, aloe grows best when it gets at least four hours of direct sun each day. It also prefers sandy soil, but it's intolerant of perpetually damp soil and high humidity.
I start new plants by transplanting sprouts that form from time-to-time at the base of mature plants. Re-potting mature plants isn't necessary.
Aloe vera is a pretty house plant, even when it isn't blooming. But when it is in bloom, its tiny flowers go a long way toward brightening up dreary, winter days.
This week in the garden
I've been inventorying my seeds to determine what and how many seeds to purchase from various mail-order seed companies, because certain varieties of plants can only be purchased as seeds carried by certain suppliers.
Lou Boulmetis is a certified master gardener who lives in Littlestown, Pa. Call him at 1-888-727-4287 or email hippo dromehatter@aol.com.