Content
- Aloe vera is not a cactus
- Distribution and use
- Easy-care indoor plants with an extraordinary appearance
- Tips & Tricks
Aloe vera and cacti have a lot in common
Aloe vera is not a cactus
Although aloes and cacti are not botanically related, they have a lot in common. Both belong to the succulents, carry thorns and are due to their pronounced water storage organs able to survive for a long time without water.
The aloes are a separate genus of the family of grass trees (Xanthorrhoeaceae) with a total of about 500 species. The cactus plants form a separate family with over 100 genera and between 1500 and 1800 species. The cacti are among the so-called stem succulents, d. H. they store water in their sprout. The aloes, however, use their leaves as water storage organs, they are leaf succulents.
Distribution and use
The gel contained in the leaves of aloe vera is valued for its skin care and regenerating agents. While the wild aloe species grow in the deserts and rocky regions of Africa and on the offshore islands, the acreage to obtain the aloe vera gel is found all over the world. The wild cacti occur in nature only on the American continent.
Easy-care indoor plants with an extraordinary appearance
Aloe vera and other aloe species - like cacti - are popular as indoor plants because of their bizarre appearance. In addition, they are particularly well suited for people who can not spare a lot of time for elaborate plant care. Aloes and cacti do not mind if you forget about pouring for a few weeks.
Aloes and cactuses have even more in common:
Tips & Tricks
A great similarity in appearance exists between aloe and agave. However, aloe plants do not die off after flowering, as is the case with agaves.