Almost everyone is familiar with Aloe vera, the pass-along plant known widely for its ability to ease the suffering associated with burns, minor wounds, and insect bites. Few, however, get to enjoy its beautiful, light lemon-colored flowers. In most home settings, it does not receive the growing conditions needed to produce flowers — bright light, warm temperatures, and wide root run. Winner of the RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1993, it is considered a tropical plant and overwinters best in a heated greenhouse or other indoor environment with temperatures above 59 degrees Fahrenheit.

Aloe vera has been used medicinally ever since the pharaohs ruled Egypt. It has been so widely traded that the original nativity of the plant has been lost. Regardless, this species is widely grown in arid environments and has naturalized in Sudan, the southern Arabian peninsula, North America, Australia, and China.