Contents:
Taking Care of Ourselves - Aloe Plants - Cousins of Aloe Vera
A Practical Tip/Solution - The Powerful Pineapple
I Recommend - Aloe Vera Juice and Gelly
Contact & Policies

Taking Care of Ourselves - Aloe Plants - Cousins of Aloe Vera
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There are 300 or more species of aloe plants - cousins to our aloe vera, and many hybrids too. My humble jungle of aloe vera plants are also found naturally in very dry, hot areas, and seen widely in Africa especially.

Visitors to my site, often ask to have their aloe plants identified. I'm afraid I'm not the best person for that, as I've only seen the aloe vera kind, but I do provide a way to submit photos so that perhaps someone else coming by may know and comment to indicate what kind of plant it is.

I am curious though as to how some of these aloe cousins look, and since it is against my ethical standards to snitch photos from other sites, I would be so tickled, if you have photos of these other aloe plants, - if you would offer them to be posted to illustrate that page.

Aloe plants generally requires very little water or maintenance. Instead, they fill up with a wonderful healing gel or moisture in their long green and spotted green leaves. This juice can be used as a medicine. More and more uses are found for aloe plants all the time.

Some friends have complained to me that they can't get aloes to grow or thrive in their home; while I could hardly hold them back! My aloe vera plants (back at Dad's house) thrived even in the sunroom, which got cold enough in our Canadian winters to use as a cold storage or fridge room. They did not like the hot humid summer days though.

Don't believe it if you read that all aloe plants are toxic. If there are some sub-species that are toxic, they would be the exception. My Dad (reached age of 91) and I ate the gel in the aloe leaves with great healing results. The green outer skin of the aloe vera leaves is bitter, but edible. I knew one woman in our community who insists on eating the bitter green skin too.

While many have heard that it is a good plant to apply to a wound or burn, I tell you it can do much more. Check out the rest of my site to learn about aloe vera plants and their uses.

I have discovered on the internet there are many varieties of aloe plants. Some say 200, some 300, and some even insist there are 500 varieties. I won't attempt to verify that, but I thought I'd mention some of the aloe cousins for your curiosity's sake.

The Aloe bainesii, for example, is a TREE!! Can you imagine aloe vera growing on trees? All aloe plants seem to have these general characteristics; they are succulents from the lily family, and have healing properties. Aloe plants thrive in dry hot desert areas, and are drought tolerant, needing little care, and they have showy flowers.

It would be interesting to confirm if all these other aloes plants (the cousins) have healing properties too!

See the invitation below to help add photos and more details to these cousins.

Aloe bainesii (or Aloe barberae)
This one grows anywhere from 30 ft to 55 ft tall. It has a stout base trunk with many forked branches. It's blossoms are green with rose-coloured tips which are approximately an inch across.

The two names, Aloe barberae, and Aloe bainesii, was published simultaneously for the same aloe plant. In a scientific paper that was overlooked, the name A. barberae was chosen, it is for this reason that the name was reinstated. Aloe barberae was named after Mary Elizabeth Barber (nee Bowker) who was one of the pioneer plant collectors of South Africa.

Aloe aristata, Torch Plant, Lace Aloe
This dwarf species has no stem, but grows in dense rosettes of four inch leaves, with raised soft white pointed teeth along the edges. It is ideal to grow in rock gardens and edgings or in pots. It flowers in early summer with a two foot stock. It produces orange-red blooms in early summer, which must be why this aloe is called the torch plant. The white picoed edges would cause others to call it the lace aloe plant.

[On the webpage, I have 14 descriptions in total for these Aloe plants or cousins. Continue to read the rest of this long page on my site, and - if you wish - to submit your mystery plants, and also to answer the questions of others asking about theirs plants; https://www.aloe-vera-and-handy-herbs.com/aloe-plants.html

A Practical Tip/Solution - The Powerful Pineapple
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I've been reading up just lately on the amazing, powerful pineapple. It is so much more than just a fragrant and delicious fruit; here's just a few facts to tease your interest in eating more pineapple.

+ Pineapple stops growing when cut, so waiting isn't going to make it riper. Pick it by scent and if it has more scales it will be sweeter.

+ Pineapple helps get rid of worms in the intestines.

+ Pineapple is high in manganese, a mineral that helps grow strong bones and connective issue.

+ Pineapple has bromelain, a proteolyic enzyme. In other words, a great digestive aid.

+ Pineapple is a great anti-inflammatory too! It relieves joint-pain and swelling.

+ Pineapple has more Vitamin C than orange juice, and it reduces mucous in the throat.

+ Pineapple is a very low risk for allergies, and those who drink it regularly report fewer sinus problems.

+ Pineapple juice makes a great remedy for morning sickness. Take it with some nuts in the morning.

+ Pineapple is used in some places for post-operations to prevent blood-clotting, cut mucous and heal the wound quicker.

I can vouch for the latter, for when I had my wisdom teeth extracted, the friend who took me to the hospital and then to their home for the night. She told me of this, and gave me pineapple juice to drink by straw. In just a couple of days I went from having a very square-swollen jaw to being healed and able to go back to work.

Pineapple appears to be another of those wonderful food/medicines God has provided for our health and happiness. It needs more study and sharing!

I Can Recommend - Aloe Vera Juice and Gelly
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My apologies for the one day delay in publishing this ezine. I had thought I'd make it through this winter, including the bitterly cold days with more than -40 wind chill factors, without getting any cold or flu bug. That hope was squashed on the weekend when I developed laryngitis, and then on Sunday, a full-blown cold and even fever that lasted two days. The fever is broken but the head cold lingers.

Through these sick days however, I realized again what a blessing my aloe vera juice is. I allowed myself extra servings of the Peaches and Bits, which is my favourite!

Last week I was looking for a solution for my itchy lower legs. Not surprising when I'm wearing long johns, and at least three layers of socks. That's a lot of elastic just above my ankles. Then i read that keeping the skin moist with lotions - or aloe vera was recommended. Well, Duh! I've got that tube of aloe vera gel sitting right there by my bedside. So I started spreading the gel on my lower legs at bedtime and in a couple of days the itch disappeared.

Where you can buy Aloe Vera Juice in Canada or in the USA

At the same sites, you can get Aloe Vera Gelly in a tube; If you're in the USA (or in Canada) If you are in another country, just change the country setting at the top of the page.

Contact & Policies - Constant
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CONTACT INFO: Ruth Marlene Friesen (306)856-7785
903 23rd Street West, Saskatoon, SK. S7L 0A5 Canada.
www.aloe-vera-and-handy-herbs.com/reachMe.html

Ruth@aloe-vera-and-handy-herbs.com
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