Aloe is a genus containing over 650 species of flowering succulent plants. The most widely known species is Aloe vera, or "true aloe". It is called this because it is cultivated as the standard source for assorted pharmaceutical purposes. Other species, such as Aloe ferox, are also cultivated or harvested from the wild for similar applications.
Aloe
Succulent plants, such as this aloe, store water in their enlarged fleshy leaves, stems, or roots, as shown in this split aloe leaf. This allows them to survive in arid environments.
Spikes on an Aloe Vera houseplant
Multiple Aloe species with a variety of growth forms. UCLA Botanical Garden
In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning "juice" or "sap".
Succulent plants have thickened stems, or leaves, such as this Aloe.
The center rosette of (Aloe polyphylla)
A collection of succulent plants, including cacti, from the Jardin botanique d'Èze, France
Succulents, such as these Adromischus marianae, Crassula deceptor and Conophytum, share an affinity for arid, fast-draining soils, often growing directly on rocks
