The plant you have selected is the Aloe Vera, an iconic and highly beneficial succulent known worldwide for its striking form and soothing inner gel. Your specimen is already quite substantial, standing at an impressive 70cm tall in its 19cm pot, making it an excellent, mature feature plant for your home.
The Aloe Vera is a classic evergreen succulent, retaining its foliage all year round. Its leaves are fleshy, thick, and grow in a dramatic, upright rosette formation. They are typically a vibrant green, often adorned with small white spots when young, and are slightly curved with pointed tips. The leaves have a distinctly succulent texture. This architectural, desert-style plant makes a bold statement in any interior. The margins of the leaves have soft, toothy edges, but the plant does not have hard, dangerous spines.
At 70cm, your Aloe Vera is already a significant, eye-catching size. This plant has a moderate growth rate and, with good care, will maintain its upright, robust form and may eventually produce numerous offsets (pups) around its base. Its substantial height makes it ideal for floor placement near a window.
The Aloe Vera is primarily cultivated for its foliage and practical uses. Flowers are rare indoors but are a beautiful sight when they occur. When mature and happy, the plant will produce a tall flower stalk bearing clusters of tubular orange or yellow blooms. These blooms are usually not notably fragrant.
This succulent has very straightforward, low-maintenance care, as it is adapted to warm, arid environments.
Placement: Aloe Vera thrives in a sunny location. Place the plant in a spot with bright, indirect light or partial direct sunlight. Indoors, it can do well on a windowsill or close to a bright window (such as a south or west exposure). Outdoors, it can be placed in a sunny garden or on a patio during the warmer months.
Water requirements: Aloe Vera has low water needs. The most important rule is to allow the top layer of soil to dry out completely before watering again. You must ensure the pot has good drainage to prevent the roots from sitting in water, which is the main cause of root rot. During the winter months, the water requirement can be further reduced as the plant's growth slows down significantly.
Note: While the inner gel of the Aloe Vera is widely used, the whole leaf—especially the outer rind and the yellow sap beneath it—contains latex (aloin) which can be irritating and is generally considered toxic if ingested. For safety, treat this as an ornamental or cosmetic plant and keep it out of reach of pets.
