The Aloe Vera: One Of The Best Plants That You Can Grow In Your Home Herb Garden
As a multi-purpose medicinal herb, the aloe vera plant is commonly used in hundreds of households around the world. Unlike other kinds of plants, the aloe vera no longer grows in the wild. The aloe vera is thought to have originated from the country of Africa, with relatives of the plant still living up to this day. The plant can also be found in the Bible, which makes it one of the oldest documented species of plants known to man. Today, this plant is only known to live in captivity or grown by a lot of people for domestic use (especially in their own home herb garden). This alone would make the aloe vera quite unique compared to household plants that can be found in the wild.
The aloe vera has a lot of properties, from promoting faster healing, soothing burns, to the treatment of diseases like diabetes. Because of the plant's special compounds (which include polymannans, acetylated mannans, anthrones, anthraquinone C-glycosides, lectins and anthraquinones), many companies add the aloe to their respective products' ingredients so that the people will be enticed to buy them.
The aloe vera is a succulent plant (or fat plant) that lives in the zones 8 to 10. It can serve as an ornamental plant meant for low-water gardens, and can also be placed indoors. It can't do quite well in freezing temperatures, and will eventually die if left in such a condition. For those who want to keep the plant in the cold, you must place it indoors, or perhaps in a greenhouse to prevent the frost from destroying it. Being a succulent plant, it resembles cacti and other common desert plants. As the plant would favor acrid kinds of climates, giving it too much water will destroy it. Because it's one of the easiest plants to care for, it shouldn't be watered until the soil runs dry. Only soil with good drainage should be utilized in potting the plant, as having a lot of sitting water will rot the root.
When grown at home, the plant is used as a remedy for burns and cuts. There are conflicting studies when it comes to analyzing how the plant itself affects the healing rate. There are some indicators that the rate of healing might depend on the depth and type of the burn, and the manner that it's bandaged. Some studies would say that the rate of healing is being slowed down from the plant. The plant may also be digested to serve as a general cure.
Despite lacking data regarding its healing abilities and other properties, it has garnered a good reputation among the people, granting the plant a place in soaps, lotions, shampoos and a wide selection of cosmetics. But the gains garnered from the aloe vera's presence in these products are solely based on belief, not on any kind of scientific proof. But with its good properties, this plant is truly worth putting in your home herb garden.
