The most common and popular of all the Aloes, this plant has long been used in alternate medicinal and skin care products with its cool gel like sap being a suitable application for burns and cuts. It has thick, fleshy, grey-green leaves with white spines along the margins making it an attractive ornamental plant in pots and rockeries. During summer a tall flower spike produces striking yellow tubular flowers, adding a mass of colour and contrast. Preferring to be planted in free-draining soil, Aloes are low maintenance and tolerant of periods of dryness.