How Many Kinds of Medicinal Aloe Are There? A Detailed Introduction to Seven Common Varieties

Aloe is a plant that many people grow at home. Some aloes can be eaten, and some can be used medicinally. At present, only a dozen or so species are known to have medicinal value. Different varieties differ greatly in their medicinal components and their content. Below, let us briefly get to know several medicinal aloe varieties.

1. Aloe arborescens

Also called tree aloe or candelabra aloe. Native to Japan, its stem can reach 1.2 m in height, with side shoots growing on the stem, making it tree-like in form. The leaves are whorled, 3.4 cm wide, about 30 cm long, and 1-1.5 cm thick. It blooms with orange-red flowers in autumn and winter. After more than two years of growth, a single leaf weighs about 40 g, and the older leaves have the best medicinal effect. It contains anti-cancer components and can treat diabetes and other conditions, and is regarded by Japanese people as the best medicinal variety.

2. Aloe vera (Curaçao aloe)

Also called American aloe, Aloe barbadensis, jade-leaf aloe or true aloe. Its stem is very short, and the leaves grow in a rosette at the base, reaching 80-100 cm in height. The leaves are emerald green with a white bloom, a single leaf is 60-70 cm long, 10-15 cm wide, and 2-5 cm thick, a single leaf weighs 1-2 kg, and a single plant can weigh 10-20 kg. It blooms with yellow flowers from January to April. The medicinal components in leaves more than three years old are high, and the gel-like substance in the leaf flesh accounts for 65%-75% of the total leaf weight, making it the main variety for medicine, health care and beauty. Because the leaf flesh contains a fishy odor, its taste is somewhat poor.

3. Soap aloe

Its most obvious feature is the irregular white-yellow stripes growing on the front and back of the leaves, which do not fade from seedling to mature plant. It has almost no stem, the leaves grow in a rosette, and it blooms with orange flowers in spring. Unlike most other aloes, its leaves contain almost no aloe emodin, so it has no bitter taste and no laxative effect. It works well for external injuries, skin diseases and beauty care, and rarely causes skin allergic reactions. The leaf flesh is strongly alkaline and tends to cause "heartburn" when taken internally, and it has a clear therapeutic effect on ulcers.

4. Yunnan Yuanjiang aloe, Hainan large-leaf aloe and Shangnong large-leaf aloe

The first two are local varieties growing in the Yuanjiang area of Yunnan and on Hainan Island in China, and are also considered variants of Aloe vera introduced in earlier years. The latter was newly bred by Shanghai Agricultural College from the Aloe vera variety. Both the seedling stage and the inner leaves of plants grown for one or two years have stripes, which fade after the plant matures. On the market they are often called American No. 2 or large-leaf Aloe vera. The main differences between these three and the original Aloe vera are: the leaf color is blue-green or yellow-green, the white bloom is not obvious, and the leaves spread out at an angle and are sparse. The leaf surface is prone to raised and sunken diseased spots and patches, and disease resistance is poor. However, they grow quickly, have thin skin, and give a high extraction rate of gel from the leaf flesh.

5. Chinese spotted aloe

It also belongs to the Aloe vera variants, but its stem is relatively long, and it has stripes from seedling to mature plant. It is a small variety, 30-40 cm tall, with narrow, thick, pointed leaves of a blue-green color. Potted plants and small ground-planted seedlings have strong tillering ability. According to analysis, the polysaccharide content and moisture retention of its leaf flesh are better than those of Aloe vera. Its bitterness is mild, making it suitable for skin care and beauty, its laxative effect is relatively poor, the plant has poor disease resistance, and its leaves often have diseased spots.

6. Green aloe

Also called dragon-horn aloe. It is commonly grown in pots among the general public. The leaves are dark green, broad and short, and thin in flesh. It blooms with orange flowers in autumn and winter. It is mostly used to reduce inflammation, relieve pain and promote bowel movements. The leaf epidermis contains much calcium oxalate, and the skin may feel itchy when it is used externally.

7. Aloe aristata (lace aloe)

Also called wood-file lotus, bearded aloe or pearl aloe. Its leaves are numerous and short, shaped like a rosette, and the leaf surface is densely covered with small white bumps, closely resembling a wood file, with a single tendril at the leaf tip. It grows slowly and is mainly used for ornamental purposes, but the gel in its leaf flesh contains polysaccharides and is an excellent choice for natural beauty care, and it has a good therapeutic effect on mouth sores, stomatitis and oral ulcers.

In summary, that is all the content of the introduction to medicinal aloe varieties. Nowadays, the application value and scope of aloe are quite broad, and you can choose which variety of aloe to plant according to the local market conditions.

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