Exploring Inside My Jumbo Aloe Vera Plant

For the last few years I've had this jumbo aloe vera plant growing in my window right in front of my computer. I've watched it grow so big and heavy it tipped the pot over to the right. Whenever I wanted another smoothee I would cut off another leaf and slice it open to scrap the gel out for my blender. But a couple of weeks ago I KNEW it was time to cut down the remaining center-stem and go exploring inside my jumbo aloe vera plant.

Would it be full of gel too? I was eager to find out.

I also knew that I would take photos of every step so that I could share this experience with others via my website. I will now do that with 21 photos!

a couple of weeks before the big experiment day!

I'm talking about that thick stem on the right, with all the wound marks from the leaves I've cut off and enjoyed. The plants on the left side are child plants of this big one.

last two leaves from top, cut first, and used in
blender too

My first step was to cut off the two short little leaves pointing up from the stem. I cut them open and tried to scrap out the gel, but there were rather hard, woody corners so I could not get much from those aloe vera leaves.

cutting away the long flat leaves that have braced the
stem to stay upright

Next step was to cut away the 3 long, flat leaves that braced the stem to stand upright.

the long flat leaves draining out the ambertose

When I laid those three leaves on a paper towel, naturally they bled out the yellow ambertose (first gush of gel) which is so strong that most people will NOT take it internally. Why? Because it will purge your gut - but good! I usually let it drain out on a paper towel first. (However, I knew a woman in my hometown who chopped and blended the leaves whole, including the ambertose. Yes, she drank that! That does not appeal to me; and is not recommended by authorities.)

sawing away with knife on stem at top of pot edge

Getting Inside The Aloe Vera Stem

I had to saw away with a serated knife for quite a while on the lower part of the stem, right at the rim of the pot. Tough-tough-stuff! Eventually I was able to stop and simply break it off at the last part through.

Oh, see how woody (hard) the stem looks inside near the bottom

I paused to have a good look at the core of the stem. It was quite woody and HARD! I wished I could remember how old that plant was. (It thrived in my bedroom window for many years, but where did I have it before that? Can't recall).

notice how the rings come off which was where the
leaves were attached

I notice too, that the leaves I have cut off for smoothees in the past were attached to the stem by rings. Now they started to fall away. Curious!

another cut and the step is still woody, with rings
coming off

I did another cut on the stem to see if the center changed at all. Still woody and more rings are slipping off. The stem seems to have closed itself off from those wounds, so that it could carry on and survive.

the other good-sized plants in the pot will get new pots
of their own

Future Jumbo Aloe Vera Plants

Looking back into the pot. I see I have three good-sized child aloe plants from my Jumbo aloe vera, which I will transplant soon into new pots of their own.

cluster of cut stem pieces note the top one has a rosette design

Here is a cluster of my cuttings on the cutting board. I note that the last two cuts from the top of the stem, do show some gel, but it would be hard to get it out as there is the start of new leaves starting there, and... arranged in a rosette!

last cut near top of stem shows a rosette with gel in layers

A closer look at that rosette... hmm.... that stem was prepared to keep putting out leaves!

comparing the cuts along the stem

Another view to compare the cuts along the stem. (Don't know when I'll have another opportunity like this!)

comparing more cuts along stem

I guess I snapped several shots - for some future study of this exploration of the inside of an Aloe Vera stem.

results of strugle to scrap gel out of
bits

Here is what gel I could scrap out of the chunks and pieces of leaves, etc. Hey, it is much easier to get it out of a nice fat and long aloe vera leaf!

very little gel to show for all that work

Yes, very little gel to show for my struggle to grip the slippery pieces and scratch the gel with a spoon. However, I'm going to make a smoothee.

trying to get some gel out of large flat leaves

Well, I was able to get 'some' gel out of those big flat leaves, but they were not as generous as plump younger leaves would be. Definitely more fun with BIG, FAT leaves!

now I scrap the gel into my blender

Now, I've scraped all the gel I've collected in my oval plate into the blender. I'll add other ingredients to make it worthwhile.

adding a scoop of protein powder from my favourite source

Adding a scoop of protein powder from my favourite source. This is vanilla flavoured.

buzzing the blender after adding papaya chunks from fridge

After I'd tossed in some papaya chunks found in the fridge from the day before, I set the blender to buzzing it all up.

Here's my smoothee with aloe vera, protein powder and some
papaya - ready to drink!

Here my smoothee is in a tall mug and the little extra in a shorter glass. The rosey colour comes from the papaya. It tasted just fine!

clean up time, but saving these cuts to show some
friends

Evidence of What's Inside My Aloe Vera Plant

I arranged those stem chunks on a paper plate to have handy to show friends if/when they dropped by. - However.... before anyone came by to see them, they had turned dark and dying...looking. So these photos are my only keepsake from this great Jumbo Aloe Vera plant. Fortunately, I have taken other photos of it over the years. Maybe sometime I'll round them all up. (When someone convinces me there would be value in a book about that plant. :) )




Aloe Propolis Creme is what keeps me looking younger! Aloe Propolis Creme combines pure inner-leaf aloe vera gel and bee propolis. Vitamins A, E and C work to nourish and moisturize the skin while propolis helps rejuvenate skin for a smoother, suppler look and feel. You ought to try it. Get it at my Forever Store.