Spiral aloe: my favorite type of aloe vera for my garden.

Hey guys! Do you know why most people, including me, love growing spirals aloes a lot? It’s all about its unique and beautiful design with a spiral pattern of leaves. 

These leaves grow in a mesmerizing spiral, creating a stunning visual impact on the beauty of our garden. And do you know what makes it even more special?

That’s not only its look, but the spiral. Aloe is also well known for being hardy and easy to care for. It requires minimum water and also can grow in acidic or alkalinic areas.

So guys, let’s come to take an overview of spiral aloe, where it grows, and how you can plant and care for it.

What is spiral aloe?

The spiral aloe (aloe polyphylla) is a special type of aloe vera, known for its catchy and unique shape with spiral pattern of leaves.

Their leaves are fleshy gray-green and form a compact rosette, which later becomes a beautiful and eye-catching perfect spiral either clockwise or counterclockwise. 

This perfect spiral is formed by the 5 ranks of leaves; each rank contains 15–30 leaves depending on the age of the plant. Guys, this beauty is not the end for spiral aloe, but their leaves are further decorated with the white to pale-green spines at the edges and the purplish-brown spines at their tips. 

This aloe plant also features eye-catching red to salmon-pink tubular flowers just like torch aloe and tree aloe. In the spring and early summer, its flower is borne on a branching spike that later arises above the leaves or foliage.

You might be surprised that the beautiful flower of spiral aloe or aloe polyphylla is awarded as the national flower of Lesotho, South Africa. Here are some scientific facts about spiral aloe.

• Kingdom: Plantae
• Order: Asparagales 
• Family: Asphodelaceae
• Sub-family: Asphodeloideae
• Genus: Aloe
• Species: A. polyphylla 
• Scientific name: Aloe polyphylla 

Where does it grow? (Habitat).

Spiral aloe, or aloe polyphylla, mostly grows in rocky, well-drained high-altitude grasslands ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 meters and sometimes even higher on east-facing slopes.

This may be due to the cooler seasons. Aloe polyphylla plants are mostly covered by snow during winter, so their growing to the east-facing slopes helps them to absorb early morning sunlight during cooler winter months.

And do you know, aloe polyphylla mostly grows in basalt rock crevices on steep, loose slopes that provide them with a very drained environment? In Lesotho, these plants are mostly found in the mist and cloud belts. 

However, the soil of Lesotho is very dry, but the summer is always cool and rainy, making it easier for spiral aloes to absorb water. 

Health benefits 

Spiral aloe is not just known for its beautiful appearance it has many health benefits just like other aloe species 

• Skin care: As other aloe species aloe polyphylla also takes care of dark circles in the skin, cuts and irritations. Its gel is also used for moisturising the skin.
• Digestive:  It can also support digestion and it is also used for soothing the digestive system.
• Immune system: this plant also is used to support our immune system to fight against anti bacterias.

Conversation 

The species is highly sought by many people but it’s very hard to take care of it in gardens or in house because of its natural habitat; mostly as soon as it gets removed from itsa natural habitat it dies. In South Africa it is a criminal offence if someone tries to remove this plant from its natural habitat or even buy seeds of it from the road by vendors.

Conclusion

The spiral aloe is not only a succulent plant but it has beautiful appearance and health benefits.Its unique circular shape makes its beauty more enhanced and very suitable for gardens.If anyone understands its environmental needs he can enjoy its beauty for years in his gardens.