Aloe vera

Aloe vera is grown commercially in warm, dry to semi-arid regions worldwide, as a field crop or, in cooler climates, under protected cultivation, supplying leaves for processing into gel, powder, and extract ingredients.

Because the plant tolerates drought and poor soils well, it is sometimes grown on marginal land less suited to conventional food crops, though yields and leaf quality respond to good management and reliable, if modest, water supply.

Family

Asphodelaceae

Genus and species

Aloe vera

Growth habit

Stemless or short-stemmed perennial succulent, forming a rosette of thick, water-storing leaves and propagating readily by offsets

Harvested tissue

Mature leaves, processed for the clear inner gel (mucilage) and the yellow latex found beneath the leaf rind

Aloe vera is believed to have originated on the Arabian Peninsula or in nearby parts of Africa, adapted to arid and semi-arid environments, and has been cultivated and traded for centuries before spreading through introduction and naturalization to warm regions worldwide.

Commercial production today spans arid and semi-arid regions across the Americas, Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe. Production statistics are less comprehensively tracked than for major food crops and are best sourced from FAO and national agricultural agencies where available.

Aloe vera is well adapted to hot, dry, and semi-arid climates, tolerating extended periods of low rainfall and high temperatures better than most cultivated crops, reflecting its succulent, water-storing leaf structure.

The plant has limited cold and frost tolerance, and prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures can damage or kill leaves and, in severe cases, the whole plant.

Aloe vera requires very well-drained soils, such as sandy and chalky soils, reflecting its native habitat on rocky and sandy semi-arid terrain; it tolerates alkaline and low-fertility soils better than many crops.

Plantings are established from offsets (basal shoots) separated from established plants, set into raised beds or ridges in regions with heavier soils to further improve drainage.

• Propagation from healthy offsets taken from established plants
• Raised bed or ridge planting in heavier soils to maximize drainage
• Wide spacing to allow rosette expansion and airflow around the crown
• Minimal-input management reflecting the crop’s tolerance of low fertility and drought

Aloe vera has modest nutrient requirements compared with most cultivated crops, consistent with its adaptation to low-fertility semi-arid soils; potassium and nitrogen support leaf growth and gel yield where soils are limiting.

Aloe vera is often grown with minimal irrigation given its drought tolerance, though periodic watering during establishment and dry periods supports leaf size and gel yield in commercial production.

Because the plant is highly sensitive to waterlogging, irrigation is applied sparingly and infrequently relative to most horticultural crops, with drainage prioritized over frequent watering.

Anthracnose can cause leaf spotting and lesions under humid conditions, and root and crown rot are the most significant disease risks, typically triggered by excess soil moisture. Scale insects and mealybugs are common pests that colonize leaf bases and can weaken plants if left unmanaged.

Management relies on well-drained sites and careful irrigation to limit disease pressure, monitoring, and — where justified — locally authorized control products applied according to their labels.

Outer, mature leaves are cut by hand at intervals as they reach suitable size, allowing the rosette to continue producing new leaves for repeated harvest over the life of the planting.

• Leaf gel processed into raw material for cosmetic and personal-care products
• Leaf gel and extracts used as ingredients in some food and beverage products
• Leaf latex processed for industrial and specialty applications
• Ornamental and landscape use in arid and semi-arid regions