Where can I buy aloe vera barbadensis miller plant

8 years ago

I am looking to purchase an aloe vera barbadensis miller in a usable size. They are very difficult to find for a reasonable price. Anyone know of a nursery selling them?

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paracelsus
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Aloe vera is the correct name, having been published by Burman a few days before Miller described the same plant as Aloe barbadensis almost Two Hundred and Fifty Years Ago (1768). Because the earlier publication date takes precedence, the name Aloe vera is the accepted name for the plant. I know of no one selling an Aloe vera Burman, or an Aloe barbadensis Miller. They are the same plant. No one is cultivating one versus the other. The names are synonymous.

You know, I have to give you credit just for asking the question. I have never seen this specific issue raised before. There are two primary phenotypes in cultivation, a spotted-leaf orange-flowered plant some call Aloe chinensis, and a somewhat larger version without leaf spots and yellow flowers which may be the closest to the ancestral Aloe vera. It has been cultivated for four millenia, so it is hard to sort out its true ancestry. No wild populations have ever been found, and the plant may be of hybrid origin. Genetic analysis suggests it is closely related to a number of Aloes from Yemen (Socotra), Somalia, and Sudan.

Brad
Crenda 10A SW FL
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Locally, Lowe's and HD both have nice sized Aloe vera plants for $3-5. Not sure what you mean by usable, but the leaves are 10-inches or so long and there are at least 5 leaves of this size on each plant.

We have the plants available all year long in SW Florida since we rarely have a freeze.

Edit - I just realized that you may have phrased the question as you did because SO many places call all of their Aloe varieties, Aloe vera. That can be confusing, so you wanted to be sure that folks knew exactly which plant you are seeking. Again, our BBS are selling them. Perhaps you can find one on clearance since winter is coming? Good luck!
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Wow...a lot of information I didn't know about Aloe Vera. The reason I stumbled across this forum is that I have a very big Aloe Vera (Big Bertha) she is healthy. She seems to be growing up the way at a very fast rate, with new growth always showing in the middle and she produces a lot of pups. The height is causing her to be top heavy and I was wondering if I should cut some of the bottom leaves off and pot her further down into the cactus soil. Another problem I have is that I have one window which faces South and where I put all my Aloe Veras during the Winter. Unfortunately during the Spring it is too cold to put them outside and the Sun can be very strong and sunburn the plants. I have no where else to put them or would covering them with the fleece you would use in a garden help?
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I would do both. I would grow Aloe vera outside in the ground in the garden. Aloes love to grow in the ground much better than in pots. It does pup furiously and you are in Zone 9. If you do get a light freeze, it will come back from the roots easily. I have some coming back from a freeze down toi 15F. True, 2 years later, LOL. I would use the store bought stuff till you have a good sized bunch going. It will proliferate, and if you are using it every day, you will need a nice bank of it. I give it a bit of shade because the Texas sun is merciless. I would keep both on hand until you get a feel for the right sized bank going where one can harvest and not over harvest according to your uses. You might research because some of the other aloes are also medicinal and good for skin and other stuff too. I spent 3 weeks on an intensive care ward on the windward side of Oahu in the 70's. I had third degree burns. My eye lid was split and my cheek was hamburger. I had 3rd degree burns down my arms , body and legs. They were not hugely bad 3 degree burns except for those on my face. I am a red head. I had people smuggle in aloe vera since I could not really figure out what they were doing to treat my burns. I was the first real burn patient in this little hospital in years. I kept the aloe coming and they were amazed at my progress. An intern said that red haired people usually scar less from burns because of our lack of pigment. I swear it was because of the aloe. When I am burned, it is the first thing I grab for.
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No, leaf starts will not work for the genus Aloe. You need an entire cross section of stem to root. Propagate by removing offsets (pups). There are two forms of Aloe vera. One makes orange flowers, the other yellow. The latter is sometimes called Aloe barbadensis, and is thought to be the original form of the species before domestication. It is relatively rare.
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The problem with identifying the 'true' Aloe vera is that it has been cultivated by man for so long. There are no longer any 'wild' populations of this plant. Since it is easily hybridized with other Aloes, there are now a great many different plants being called Aloe vera. The one called barbadensis is thought to be closest to the original species. It's flowers are yellow. Most of the pretender Aloe vera have orange-red flowers. Many, like the one being sold on ebay, are small hybrids. Aloe barbadensis is a large Aloe, with grey-green leaves reaching more than two feet long. Spots are absent in adult speciments, but subtle spots may be present on juvenile specimens. Many Aloes have the same medicinal qualities, although none are truly edible. There are two different parts of the leaves that are used medicinally. The inner 'gel' is the part soothing to burned skin. The yellow lining of the leaves contains powerful laxatives. It is sometimes called 'aloe juice'. The original medicinal reason for cultivation of Aloe vera by desert bedouin tribes in Arabia was for it's laxative properties, constipation being a serious problem in the desert. Hope that helps a little. Brad Here is a link that might be useful: Aloe vera
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Where can I buy aloe vera barbadensis miller plant

Comments (2)

paracelsus

Crenda 10A SW FL

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