In the wild, aloe blooms annually, or even twice a year. Beautiful flowers, collected in an ear or a dense panicle of yellow, red, orange, rarely pink and white shades, are located on the long arrow of the plant.
Bloom in the wild
The homeland of aloe is South and East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Madagascar. It grows in drought-resistant semi-desert areas. In such regions, in spring and summer, aloe throws out an arrow up to 80 cm long, from which large tubular flowers develop.
Cylindrical flowers about a centimeter in diameter and 4-5 cm long have one pistil and six stamens, they are located close to each other and resemble a panicle. Juicy, fleshy flowers are widened downwards and are filled in this part with nectar, which is very rich in aloe.
Blooming at home
Aloe very rarely blooms at home - once every several decades with favorable factors. In such conditions, the arrow and the flower are much smaller.
Aloe variegated
Aloe variegated, or brindle, is a small herbaceous succulent plant that is quite drought tolerant. Its leaves never fall, but can dry out. The stem of the plant is short up to 30 cm, the leaves are dark green with white stripes, for which it got its name.
Aloe blooms in spring and summer, this variety also throws out an arrow, on which small nondescript flowers of red or pink shades are located. The plant is popular both in the wild in arid regions and at home, where it blooms much less often than in the wild, or does not bloom at all.
Aloe awesome
This aloe variety looks more like a tree or a huge shrub. Its height is 1-3 meters, the length of the leaves is 40-60 cm, and the width is about 15 cm. These thick, fleshy leaves are densely covered with jagged thorns on all sides, especially sharp at the edges. In adulthood, aloe forms a branched spike-shaped inflorescence of red flowers on a short stalk, 3-4 cm long. A large amount of nectar accumulates at the base of the flower, which flows down the stem. Such a plant lives only in the arid regions of South Africa and a number of other hot countries.
Homemade aloe care
Aloe is an unpretentious plant and easily tolerates drought. It is photophilous, but in the spring it needs protection from the bright first sun to avoid leaf burns. In the summer, it is recommended to plant the plant in open ground, best of all in a greenhouse to protect it from rain, since water, accumulating in aloe sockets, contributes to decay. In the warm season, the plant needs moderate watering as the soil dries out, in winter it is rare. The most favorable home conditions for keeping aloe are a bright, cool place with an air temperature of +10 + 14 ° C.
