I think what was said was it may be an Aloe but necessarily Aloe vera, there are at leat 350 Aloe species, only one species is Aloe vera. Unless it is labeled how would you know what you have? Norma

Theres some confusion here. It seems the true Aloe vera is bright green (unless suntanned)with lots of white spots and suckers like a fiend. It is usually a pass along plant. The Aloe vera in plant shops however is a larger more robust Aloe with grayish leaves and few spots which tends to be more solitary. It is actually barbensis. Is this correct Aloe experts?

It is what you want it to be. True aloe vera is said to bloom yellow. For that reason, I give any orange flowering aloe vera away as soon as I know what color it flowers.......

Well I don't know, but my book considers the Aloe barbadensis nom. illeg. Perhaps the name has changed recently. I sure there are plenty of hybrids out there as well and I'm sure different clones. My Aloe vera was never a bright green, rather an light avacado color, and dull, I don't believe (GW plant babies) mentioned the color of the plant. Mine also didn't have white spots and still doesn't, it yes it will sucker if not given enough light, mine has never suckerd. I really dont think so fred-grow. Fred I think this is the wrong forum to find experts.
I don't believe I have met an expert yet. I have never seen or heard of Aloe barbensis, has the named changed recently and now goes by a different name?
I also have not seen the persons plant that was asking the question, nor the flower. This person does not mention where she is growing it, full sun or shade.
I think she is a beginner, and doesn't realize yet that one species may have many clones, and not all of them are exactly alike but yet they can be the same species. But she is here asking questions. Good for her. And your response made me look up what you where asking about, so I learned also. Norma

Norma

Your plant is a real Aloe, as there are over 300 species, and many more hybrids and cultivars. The plant that many have for burns is Aloe vera var. chinensis, and fits the description given by fred grow. I've not heard of it flowering. The original Aloe vera is larger, slower to pup, and when older does not have spots. It usually flowers yellow, but some specimens do have orange flowers (they may be hybrids, or just a different subspecies). All of them can be put to good use on your skin. Aloe arborescens gel works just as well, but this species grows much larger, and is best grown outside in frost free climates.

my "Aloe Vera" is the indoor kind -- a nice plump light green with light spots and very small points on the edges. The 'typical aloe' that everyone seems to have.

It turned purplish when I put it in high heat outside, even in deep shade!

I have never seen it flower, and did not know it could.

Interstingly, when I planted the cuttings given to me, they began to throw off new babies all over the place.

thanks for the assistance -- I am a sort of newbie regarding some things about horticulture and the steps for things like hardwood cuttings from outdoors, although I have been successfully growing at least 50 different types of plants for many years.

I just started a very small plant-selling business - nothing major, just Farmer's Market ....so have been learning in earnest, and collecting different plants that I have not tried growing before.

:)

I just knew that the plant called Aloe vera by most people around here is not the same plant that the nurseries label Aloe vera. So I guess Aloe barbadensis the old and now invalid name for Aloe vera. The name hasn't changed Norma I just can't spell. This is the plant I always see offered for sale around these parts. The very prolific, brighter green plant with lots of white spots that everyone has but no one paid for is Aloe vera var. chinensis. This is just something that has always made me curious. Thanks everyone for helping clear it up.

For yrs I thought this plant was an Aloe, but someone here pointed out that it wasn't an aloe, but a Sanseveria. And all those yrs I treated it as an aloe, placing in direct south sun..Toni

Here is a link that might be useful:

Here in Nova Scotia, we also have that same green spotted prolific aloe that everyone has but is never for sale, and then you see the big robust grayish one for sale as Aloe vera in stores. I was under the impression that the name A. vera was obsolete and had been replaced by A. barbadensis. I thought the common green spotted on was the chinensis clone....
just my two cents!

Sorry to digress, but what is that Sans, hopefulauthor? I have one like it that I haven't named yet.

breton

Checkout this link. I found it pretty interesting. It's a good history on Aloe vera, it's var., and possible hybrids.

http://www.huntingtonbotanical.org/Desert/Cholla/feb06/feb06.htm#aloes

I have an aloe tree which grows upright, is tall and has the speckled leaves.. Mine is almost 3' tall and has been putting out pups. I would love to know the botanical name.

Pat - can you post a photo of the plant?

I didn't think about that but I will a little later today or tomorrow.

I don't think that I know how to put a photo onto this site. I have one photo but
can't figure it out and have never done it. I can put it on an email.

I know very little about plants but am learning as I go. I am especially new at nomenclature. I had an "aloe vera" bought at some store or other-bright green with spots. I had it a couple of years and it got very big with my care and had many pups that I cut off and gave away several times. When it was about two feet tall (not counting the bloom)it lost its spots and became less bright green and started to bloom every late winter with yellow flowers. It still had many, many pups. Maybe the confusion is just that the plant is differant colors depending on light and/or age. Lots of pictures of the same kind of succulent are all different colors, same plant, depending on light and heat and culture etc. Too bad mine was over balanced in its pot and did a suicide leap off the desk. Now I am back to one little 3 in. pup, bright green with spots, that isn't getting much light under a plant light in the basement. I am inspired now to bring it up into the light...where it will get huge again... and less green and.....

I will post a picture on the gallery page. I know how to do that, I think.

I also seem to have two differing kinds of Aloe vera. One eventually produces a very large, stocky plant with gray-green leaves but has never flowered for me. The other tends to stay small, has bright green leaves with white spots and eventually flops all over the place.
Both are productive in the plantlet department, but the smaller variety is more prolific than the large one. It needs the old leaf sections removed from the stem to allow for young shoots to emerge.

Two different kinds of aloe vera. Indeed, aloe vera is aloe vera. Large, offsets freely , no spots when mature. Aloe vera 'Chinensis' - small grower, doesn't get nearly as big as aloe vera, white spots when mature, sometimes leggy, offsets like crazy.