@KiwiMoose im not a botanist so I can’t say for sure - but the plants were labeled aloe vera and the look like what I understand AV to look like! I scoop the gel out, leaving the green outer layer for the compost, and blend the gel. It stays goopy.
I guess I thought that was normal!
he’s curled over my soap journalI like your profile photo: cats have a way to sit right in the centre of the action
Oh - yes I know that one. It is a variety of aloe, but not the one that we generally use here. I see that one as more ornamental - and the leaves aren't really big enough to get a decent amount of juice from.
That's the aloe I have, it's not ornamental and the leaves will get larger if put into a bigger pot. Mine are quite large, I use mainly for burns. It's aloe Vera barbadensis, many moons ago I had to do a talk on this.
That sounds like cactus vs aloe VeraThat looks just like the ones grown in pots in my climate - but I don't have one of those. I normally buy a big, cut aloe branch (leaf?) from the grocery store, typically 2-3 ft long and probably 4-6 inches wide at the. base. The stuff that I scrape out is very gloppy and thick when blended, so I usually thin it out with distilled water.
PS - they are usually labeled as coming from Mexico.
No, they are definitely aloe vera. They get huge in hot dry climates.
