Aloe Vera Plant

Aloe Vera Plant

I had to laugh when I read an article on using pure vanilla for slight burns in the kitchen. I suppose it may work, as stated in the article, but vanilla is expensive and I prefer it for flavoring in cakes and cookies. Although it did say to use cold water first, you didn’t mention using my favorite plant, the medicine plant, Aloe Vera. Aloe Vera has been used for burns since before man began writing down all these good, and useful home remedies. It’s what I learned as a small child from my mom, and my grandma, and it seems to still be one of the best remedies for minor burns today in my kitchen and home.

Cold water is always what I use first, and I’ve never had it fail me. Not only does the cold water clean the burn and keep it from blistering so bad, the cold makes it feel better. Many’s the time I’ve had or seen a burn blister when no cold water was used, and yet a burn of about the same degree of seriousness, held under cold water for a few minutes did not blister. My husband, who gets frequent burns form welding, uses a glass of water with ice cubes in it for minor burns on his fingers.

Of course I always follow up the cold water with some aloe vera. I never use anything except a fresh leaf. I am always leery of what else may be in the aloe gels sold in stores. I keep several pots of the plant in the house, for not only minor burns, but minor scraps, scratches, and even bruises, insect bites, and acne. I cut off a piece of an aloe leaf, split it open, and using a clean finger, or a cue tip, I smear a thick coat of the glutenous stuff in the leaf on the injury.

I don’t know all the chemical make up of what the goo-y stuff is in the leaf of an aloe plant, but it sure does feel good on your skin and helps heal burns and scratches. The gel feels cool and refreshing, with a smell I like, but some people don’t like. The gel can feel sticky at first, but that goes away as it dries.

Not only is aloe the medicine plant, it is a handsome plant that can be used as a good accent point in your home decorating. The leaves are long, thin, and taper to a point after coming form an over-lapping circle at the base, like a yucca. Like the yucca, the aloe is a succulent, which means it takes very, very little care. The hardest part is to not over water the aloe. It is very forgiving if you forget to water, in fact, it may even appreciate it.

I spent many years working in floral shops, and plant nurseries, and over watering was the main problem we saw with people who’s aloes had died. So remember good drainage is necessary in a potting mix that is about half sandy soil, with loam. Fertilizing should be done very sparingly, if at all, and then cut the amount in half of what is recommended. All aloes want at least four hours of bright sunlight each day. If they don’t get enough they will began to have this strange, leggy, spindly look. But to much sun can also be damaging. If yours is outside and turns dark, it may be sunburned, and in need of a shadier spot.

Aloe can be left outside in southern states where it never freezes, but for areas where freezing occurs, be sure to bring your aloe inside when the nights drop to about 40 degrees. The least little bit of frost can be death to your plant.

I have found that it is very easy to propagate the aloe plant. Most plants put on an abundance of young plant-lets around the base of the parent plant. At almost any stage, the babies or plant-lets can be gently removed from the parent plant, and started in their own little pot. They make great gifts. A mature plant is usually only one to three feet tall at most, and if your lucky it will produce a spike with either white or yellow flowers, but this is very rare.

So do keep a pot of my favorite plant, the aloe vera, in your kitchen for that sudden grease splatter, skinned knee, scratch from a rose bush, insect bites or sunburn. It is a good friend for those who need a little medicinal help. Best of all the aloe, as do all plants, helps us by adding oxygen to the air we breath.