aloe vera

so pleased with my two aloe plants that I got from my aunt about one year ago.
I am hardly the perfect house plants keeper these days, but these two plants withstood quite prolonged periods without water and actually I don't think they thrive in direct sun (but I may well be wrong there).
Any experience?

 

Could you post some pictures , it would be nice to see what variety are they.

 

I have about six Mira, originally brought from the UK (IoW) believe it or not and they thrive on clay soil with no watering and baking sun and actually flower every year. I do water them a couple of times a week. They are excellent when you have a graze, bite, cut or whatever ... just break a bit off, take out the juice and spread on the wound. Put the rest of the cutting in a baggie in the fridge and it keeps for a long time ... till next you need it!

 

Mine has been in a "box room" for years. "Box room" is not quite right, as its a room with quite a lot of traffic, so it gets seen and watered ...

... several months ago we took the false-ceiling down in that room to change the plumbing for the bathroom above. Everything out, including Aloe vera, which was put on top of a filing cabinet with no direct light from the window. All Summer I've been watering it only when I go "Oh xxxx!!" when I spot it on top of the filing cabinet ...

... it looks absolutely fine with that level of neglect and poor light, as do the money plants that were evicted there at the same time !

 

I also find this will grow reasonably well without strong light, strange for a succulent.
I think you need good light for flowering, but if you move a plant grown in poor light into direct sunlight they do suffer.
Usually they go brown, not crispy, just the plant body goes brown and takes a long time to get growing again.

 

ok - give me a little while to find the camera!


Here it is:

 

it look like a barbadensis , as many aloe are sold as aloe vera actually there are lots of different variety of vera ....sometime I`ve found aloe ruba in my local market sold as drinking aloe.

 

sal,

A vera is the same as A barbadensis.

The need as much sun as the can get, and should get uo to about 60cm before the will flower.

 

Sirius this is my point , Miraflores aloe will never reach 60 cm as I got one exactly the same , they are just spreading all over ,reach a certain hight and start to bend because they are too heavy , the one I`ve seen was huge and looked like this one in the picture , that look like will reach 60 cm and then flowering.
Too many aloe are called aloe vera , but wich one is the real one?

 

don't ask me dear...

 

I had one flower this year.
It was the most neglected miserable plant you could find, about a foot high.

 

sal,
I do agree that loads of plants are named Aloe vera by people who don't have a clue.

But this is one i actually wouldnt bother with. There are so many fantastic miniature species of Aloe.