Agave and aloe: what is the difference, is it the same or not, how do these plants look in the photo, how do they look different?

There is one very affordable and unpretentious, but quite unique plant that has excellent healing properties that miraculously contribute to the faster healing of wounds and the cure of various chronic diseases. This miraculous plant is aloe. In the house, two varieties of this plant are cultivated: tree-like aloe, popularly known as the "agave", and aloe vera. In the framework of this publication, we will find out what is the difference between the agave and such a plant species as aloe.

Why is this not the same thing?

Modern botany has a little over five hundred varieties of aloe. One of them is the agave. The latter, along with other varieties, belongs to the genus of succulents, which in essence gives prerequisites for confusion, especially for amateur gardeners inexperienced in this matter.

Agave and aloe are not the same thing. Individually, each of these plants is unique in many respects.

Aloe vera can be considered only when it comes to its species. In other cases, when the appearance of a plant, its chemical composition, and medicinal properties are considered, it must be called an agave, but not as a generalizing name for aloe.

History and geography of plants

The oldest references to aloe as a medicinal plant date back to the second millennium BC. Ancient Egyptians studied and successfully applied the beneficial properties of aloe.

Unfortunately, it is not known for certain which of the plant varieties they used: it hardly seems possible to identify the variety from the images on the walls of temples and tombs. According to them, it is only possible to say that it was just one of the varieties of aloe.

However, if we take into account that in Africa, adjacent to Egypt in the wild, in a large enough quantity aloe tree grows (it is also an agave), we can say with high probability that Egyptian healers and priests studied and applied the agavecalling it "a plant that grants immortality."

Unlike the agave, which is endemic to African lands, other subspecies of aloe grow in other countries and territories where the climate is warm enough for succulents: Barbados (island), Arabian Peninsula, Japanese Curacao, etc.

How do they differ in appearance?

So what is the difference between these plants? Perhaps the most obvious difference between the agave and its brethren suggests itself immediately after reading its botanical name - "Aloe treelike." Agave is a fairly tall shrub of a branchy type.

It has a tree-like vertical trunk, which, under favorable conditions and actively grows one meter (and in natural conditions - up to five meters) in height, from which thin, growing, if I may say so, staggered and fairly fleshy leaves. The latter have a smooth surface and are framed by small spikes at the edges. The length of the leaves of the agave can reach thirty or more centimeters.

Almost all other varieties of aloe can not boast of such a trunk. They have a bushy shape with leaves growing from the very base. The maximum height of such shrubs is fifty centimeters.

Aloe leaves are wider and more juicy than agave. Leaves have a slightly corrugated surface and are framed by denticles along the edges.

If the leaves of tree aloe are grayish-green in color, sometimes with a slightly bluish tint. Varieties of plants have leaves with a pronounced green color.

Photo

And this is how the agave and other types of aloe look in the photo.

Agave:

Aloe Vera:

Aloe Awesome:

Aloe striped:

Useful and healing properties

As already mentioned a little above, about three and a half millennia have been known about the beneficial and healing properties of aloe vera.

The first document mentioning the agave is the ancient Egyptian papyrus EbersThe spelling of which dates back to around 1500 BC

Let's look at why even such a highly developed civilization in its era, like Egypt, turned its attention to the agave. And let's start with the chemical composition of the plant.

We offer you to watch a video about the benefits of the agave for humans:

Chemical composition

A fresh leaf of tree-like aloe, as well as its juice, include a great many useful substances. The chemical composition of aloe:

antraglycosides: emodin, rabarberon, nataloin, homonataloin, aloin;
vitamins of almost the entire spectrum;
resinous substances;
enzymes;
volatile;
essential oils (in small quantities).

Many of these elements are the so-called biogenic stimulants.

As for the rest of the aloe genus, none of them are able to boast such a rich chemical composition as the agave has. An exception may be considered unless aloe vera. It is this plant, like the agave, that has been used quite successfully for medical purposes and in cosmetology.

Medical use

In their practice, doctors quite effectively find application both to the leaves of the agave in their original form, and to freshly squeezed, and then condensed juice from them (the so-called sabur). Agave-based preparations have the following healing effects:

activate the digestive tract, improve appetite;
have anti-inflammatory, anti-burn and wound healing effects;
possess antibacterial properties, killing typhoid, dysentery, diphtheria bacilli, as well as streptococci and staphylococci;
have a choleretic and laxative effect;
are excellent immune stimulants.

In medicine, aloe vera and aloe are awesome. Other types of aloe are used only as an ornamental plant.

What diseases does it relieve?

As a medicine, either middle or lower leaves of the bush are used, the size of which is at least fifteen centimeters. Not only freshly cut, but also dried leaves are allowed for use. The range of application of plant parts is very, very wide. There are a lot of diseases for the cure of which certain parts of the agave are used, and each part of the plant helps with any particular disease.

For example:

Agave juice compresses.
Effectively used in the treatment of lupus, skin tuberculosis, radiation dermatitis of the scalp and eczema.
Agave liniment.
The composition of this tool includes freshly squeezed juice of biostimulated plant leaves. Liniment is used for the prevention and treatment of radiation damage to the skin, as well as burns.
Fresh juice.
As an external agent, it is used to combat purulent wounds, osteomyelitis, burns, trophic ulcers, as well as a mouth rinse and throat rinse for a variety of infectious diseases. As an internal remedy, it is used in the fight against chronic gastritis, influenza epidemics and other acute respiratory viral infections. It also boosts immunity and improves appetite.
Agave Syrup with Iron.
It is used when it is necessary to cure acute or chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, a wide variety of poisonings, and also if it is necessary to restore the body after severe forms of exhaustion or strengthen the immune system.
Tree Aloe Extract (Liquid).
For the manufacture of this medicine, dried or canned (sometimes crushed) leaves are used. It is used in the treatment of blepharitis, bronchial asthma, gastritis (chronic), gynecological diseases, conjunctivitis, peptic ulcer of the duodenum and stomach, etc.

It is believed that agave is more often used for diseases of internal organs. Aloe vera, in turn, is better suited for external use. But the chemical composition of both species practically does not differ, so you can close your eyes to such a trifle.

Aged medicine recipes can be found here.

Contraindications

With internal or external use, the agave and other medicinal types of aloe have no particular contraindications. However, in the case of using this plant as a laxative, it should be borne in mind that its use in high doses can disrupt intestinal motility, causing inflammatory processes in the large intestine.

For this reason, it is strongly not recommended to take medications based on the agave as a laxative, to people suffering from uterine or hemorrhoidal bleeding. One more a prerequisite for contraindication to the use of the drug is pregnancy.

We offer you to watch a video about contraindications to the use of aloe:

Differences in cultivation and care

Since all plants of the aloe species, including the agave (aloe tree), are succulents, that is, endemic to desert and semi-desert territories, there is no particular difference in the cultivation and care of representatives of this species (for how to care for the agave, read here). For an active and full-fledged growth, any representative of the aloe species needs the presence of sandy soil, a large amount of sun and very frequent watering (not more than twice a month).

The value of aloe vera (agave) is very difficult to overestimate. It is an almost universal medicinal plant and a true green doctor growing on the windowsill.