Plant care activity tends to move indoors in the winter and, with the colder months of January and February upon us now, it’s a great time to turn your attention to houseplants.

With a wide variety of plants available for the home, growers can choose from types that produce blooms, are fragrant, have variegated foliage, are easy to grow, and so many other kinds.

Then too, there are those plants that are not only attractive but also have extra benefits such as healing or medicinal properties.

On a recent trip to a garden center, I found a nice display of a plant of this type known as Aloe Vera or aloe Barbadensis. Over time, Aloe Vera has been known by many names, such as the burn plant, elephant’s gall, lily of the desert, medicine plant, miracle plant, and unguentine plant.

Aloe is a succulent and is a member of the lily plant family. The plant has white-speckled, grayish-green, long, thick leaves that are covered with soft spines. Aloe grows well in an environment of above 55 degree temperatures and in a sunny indoor location. The plant should be watered when its surface soil feels dry and fertilized on a regular basis with an all-purpose, houseplant fertilizer.

Aloe Vera has been known and cultivated for many centuries. Six thousand years ago, the ancient Egyptians incised depictions of the plant on their temple and tomb walls and it is said that Marco Polo, Aristotle and Hippocrates wrote of the Aloe Vera plant. In most of the historical records concerning this plant, it is most frequently connected with healing and medicinal uses.

Aloe Vera was first cultivated in Africa but was later successfully transplanted to many countries around the world from Russia to the U.S. Two thousand years ago, aloe became a very much used plant in the cultures of China and Greece. In the U.S. today, it is grown for commercial use in the warm regions of Texas, Florida, and California.

Medicinal properties
Although it is an attractive and easy-care houseplant, Aloe Vera’s “main claim to fame” is its myriad of medicinal properties. Throughout the centuries, it has been attributed to being everything from the “herb of immortality” by the early Egyptians, to the “elixir of youth” by ancient Romans to a “complete cure-all” in Asia. More recently, aloe does appear to have health benefits.

Most commonly, the plant has been used as a remedy for a variety of skin ailments. You may have seen the plant (or know someone who has it) on a windowsill in a kitchen where the gel inside the leaves is accessible for use on cuts, scrapes, or burns. The gel is also effective on rashes, insect bites, and sunburn.

Creams and lotions that contain Aloe Vera are used as skin moisturizers, acne remedies, dandruff treatments, sunscreens, and cleansing agents. Aloe Vera is also being added to facial tissues to reduce the irritation of frequent nose blowing when someone has a sinus allergy or a cold.

Another medicinal use of Aloe Vera, when used in capsule or liquid form, is as a mild laxative. Related to this benefit of the plant is that it also acts as a detoxifier helping rid the body of poisons, pesticides, and chemicals that are detrimental to good health.

Experts report that Aloe Vera contains several antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that can benefit the human system. Other studies have related Aloe Vera use in treatments for baldness, arthritis, insomnia, allergies, gum disease, eye problems, etc.

For more information on the health benefits of Aloe Vera see: www.naturalnews.com/aloe-vera, www.HealingFoodReference.com, or www.HerbReference.com.

January gardening tip: Keep the foliage of houseplants dusted and cleaned on a regular basis and check for pests such as scale insects, spider mites and mealy bugs.

Increase the humidity for indoor plants by placing pots on a bed of pebbles in a tray set under the plant. Fill the tray with water and let the water evaporate to increase the moisture in the atmosphere around the plant.

If you have garden questions or tips for other gardeners, send them in to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Many people keep aloe on a windowsill or countertop to be used to treat cuts, scrapes or burns.

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