Varieties of aloe plants are over 300 different species, but only a few are commonly grown. Most people only know barbadensis, which carries major health advantages when grown indoors.
Most aloes are native to Africa and Central America, where they endure long hours of sunlight. This makes them easy to grow since they require less care and minimal watering since they store water in their leaves.
A Complete List of Varieties of Aloe Plants
1. Aloe Vera
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Aloe vera or medicinal aloe is very well-known and commonly grown. It is commonly known as the true aloe. It is native to the Arabian Peninsula and thrives in tropical environments around the globe. It is grown for medicinal and agricultural purposes.
The leaves are thick and fleshy in gray-green color, and they would grow almost 12 to 15 inches tall and show their beautiful features. Make sure that you would provide it with the right requirements, which are giving it a sufficient amount of water, just as the soil feels dry, and making sure that it is in a sunny location.
2. Aloe Arborescens
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Aloe arborescens is also known as the candelabra aloe or Krantz aloe due to its branches that grow out of its short, woody trunk. It has tooth aloe leaves that have like little rosettes on their ends.
It forms a stem from the heart of each leaf rosette with beautiful, scarlet inflorescence. This aloe should not be consumed as its succulent is toxic. It is best to consume it for ornamental species.
3. Aloe Ferox
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Aloe ferox is native to South Africa and is also known as cape aloe or bitter aloe. It is often used in manufacturing as it has a lot of gel in its thick-fleshed leaves. This is the type of aloe that has healing properties to the skin the reason why it’s used to manufacture skin products.
In order to grow it around your place, you should make sure that it is first located under full sunlight, so that it thrives. In addition to this, you should also wait till the soil is dry before you water it again; moreover, the temperature should be between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit so that it thieves, and produces beautiful and red flowers.
4. African Aloe
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African aloe is a slow-growing aloe species that is native to South Africa. It is uniquely known for its messy and disorganized curved leaves that grow in different directions. This plant takes at least five years to reach maturity and when it does, you will see it producing beautiful flowers.
It grows a large multi-branched spike bearing hundreds of bright orange, tubular-shaped flowers, which would add such a beautiful color to your landscape.
5. Aloe Striata
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This is the type of plant that is also known as coral aloe, it is a drought-tolerant evergreen aloe belonging to the Asphodelaceae family. It is native to the Southern, Western, and Eastern Cape. It is a rosette-forming plant with flat leaves that are bluish-green.
On another note, what is special about this plant is that the leaves change color depending on the amount of sun they receive. It is able to reach 10 feet high and at least two feet wide. As long as you are giving it the right requirements, which are moderated watering sessions, and making sure you would prune the dead leaves off, so it grows broader.
6. Aloe Polyphylla
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The spiral aloe plant has a beautiful leaf arrangement that forms a spiral shape, hence the name, and this is due to the fact that it would cluster one leaf around the other. As a result, the leaves are fleshy and create a perfectly symmetrical shape.
The sap of this aloe plant is poisonous, so do not use it on the skin or consume it. This is the national flower of Lesotho, and basically, it is the recipient of the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
7. Aloe Bainesii
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Tree aloe is a 30 feet tall aloe that is the longest of all aloes. It has a central trunk that gracefully holds the gray-barked branches. The top of the branches holds a convex rosette of long narrow green leaves. This exotic aloe does well in gardens where succulents grow.
This aloe vera tree has a nice, rounded, sculptural shape. When it establishes itself well and is in a healthy condition, you would start seeing this plant thriving and producing beautiful flowers. However, you should know that it is prone to grow more in bigger surfaced areas.
8. Mountain Aloe
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This aloe vera plant is one of the largest aloe plants that grow up to 10 feet tall, and this is why it is known as the mountain aloe plant; moreover, the latter is also because it would grow in higher altitudes. On another note, you should know that it grows on a central stem with stippled leaves and reddish spines. It grows upward, making it look like a giant artichoke.
This plant is known for its features as well because it has gray-green leaves that skirt around the base as they die. From the center, you would see that big stemmed flowers would start to grow and show their beautiful orange colors.
9. Aloe Brevifolia
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This aloe plant is a beautiful one, with its leaves forming colorful rosettes. The plant thrives under partial shade and grows pale green leaves that turn golden yellow and rosy pink in full sun. It is native to South Africa and is an evergreen aloe that keeps its color for the better part of the year.
Make sure that you would provide it its proper care, which is locating it in a place where it will receive partial sun, and prune the dead leaves away so that it aims to grow further. Also, make sure that you would provide it with the proper watering; as a result, be mindful that you won’t overwater it.
10. Aloe Aristata
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This is the type of aloe that is also called the lace aloe or guinea fowl aloe it is spherical. This dwarf aloe is completely stemless, establishing six inches long leaves edged with white teeth coming from its sides.
On another note, you should remember that this aloe is poisonous and has no health or medicinal benefits. On the same notion, when you grow this kind, make sure that you would be careful that children or pets are away from this so that they won’t be intoxicated. You can plant it outdoors and indoors in small pots or tight spaces.
11. Aloe Plicatilis
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Commonly, most people would call this plant the fan aloe this aloe spreads like a fan while growing. It is native to South Africa and is one of the tallest aloe species. The aloe plicatilis has a pseudo stem that can grow up to five meters tall. Old leaves die and fall off the branches leaving the trunk exposed.
In addition, each stem supports its branched crown, as they also have beautiful leaves that are smooth in their texture, and contain a sap. However, this is a poisonous sap that you should not let your kids or pets come near it because if they ingest some, it would be harmful.
12. Aloe Maculata
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The aloe maculata is also known as soap aloe and has uniquely flat-topped inflorescence. It has triangular leaves that vary in shape and size but is curled toward the tips. This plant can grow up to six branches, and it also has some flowers too, which have colors that range from yellow to orange-red.
When you grow this plant, you would see it growing when the soil is moist but also has a well-draining potential. In addition, you should also keep in mind that it has a drought-tolerant characteristic; as a result, you must not overwater it.
13. Aloe Barbadenis Miller
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This is the most common aloe type and is popular due to its healing properties, and it is called the aloe barbadensis miller. The leaves have plenty of gels that heals burns and damaged skin and hair issues. The leaves tend to disappear or basically look weaker and reduce in their sap as the plant grows older.
However, with frequent watering, you can keep the plant growing new leaves, and this would be quite often, especially if you give it the right care. Aim to fertilize the plant once they have grown and make sure you would wait until the soil feels dry to the touch until you water it again.
14. Climbing Aloe
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Climbing aloe is a rapidly grow aloe that does best indoors, as it will show its beautiful tooth aloe leaves. It is important to place it near a bright window to keep it growing. This plant has tall flower spikes with pointed clusters of bright orange to red flowers.
Some people claim that it looks like the tiger tooth aloe, and this is because of the edges that it has which look pointy. These flowers show up all year round but most likely in the spring, and in this time you would also see it blooming out new leaves as well.
It is used for medicinal purposes as the leaves contain a gel that can be used topically.
15. Red Aloe
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The red aloe is one of the most attractive of aloes. It has loose rosettes of curving leaves with a beautiful blend of colors. The colors range from lime green in the center to rich rust at the ends. The amount of sun this plant receives makes it keep a more or less red color.
The species has a mounding habit that is unique and impressive. However, this would happen when they root themselves and grow in a healthy manner, just as the sun is directly upon them, and they enjoy growing; this is when the plant will change its color.
16. Arabian Aloe
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This aloe is native to the Arabian Peninsula where it gets its name. It is a beautiful ornamental aloe with thick fleshy leaves that are pale green. They enjoy a reddish or red-violet color when they take on full sun.
Their color can intensify as red-violet in cooler temperatures as they age. The Arabian one is prone to grow around sideways, leaving the top of the plant visible to passersby. This would show and add a versatile touch of aesthetics to your landscape.
17. Aloe Africana
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This Africana aloe is the most popular used in cosmetic and medicinal products. It has major healing properties useful in many cases, from sunburn to digestive issues. It is not cold-hardy but grows very successfully as a houseplant. It has long, thin, and arched leaves that are bright green.
Conclusion
Varieties of aloe plants are very many, and it’s hard to list all of them in one article as it will be too long. However, you now have an idea of aloe plants you did not know about and varieties you can add to your garden or indoors.
Here are a few points to remember as you plan on growing some of these plants.
- All these aloes mature and bloom, producing nectar-rich flowers that birds, butterflies, and bees enjoy. This betters your ecosystem helping your gardening.
- Aloes are the easiest succulents you can ever grow wherever you plant them, as they are easy to grow and maintain.
- Learning about different types of aloe plants will help you provide better care since most require the same care.
- Some of our favorite varieties include barbadensis, ferox, cape, and Africana, as they are medicinal.
Aloe plants enjoy growing over multiple soils; you can easily grow them. Just as you do, you would also see that some require very simple care, and as you provide it to them, you would also see how they add beauty to your landscape. You can also check out other plants that look like Aloe Vera and add them to your garden!
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