Scientific name - Aloe barbadensis
Cultivation - I have been nurturing Aloe plants from past four years, transferring and replanting the newer pops that come out so as to avoid over crowding. Have researched a lot and these links might be helpful if you are onto something similar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbe2jxc9aVA
Aloe Vera plant - Grown best in full sunlight, little water and a large pot.
Benefits - Very effective as a medicinal applicant on open wounds like cuts and burns, healing without leaving a mark, as a natural skin moisturizer, lengthening the hair and treatment of scalp allergies.
Flowers - And I have been gifted the fruits (read flowers) of my efforts. A rare sight to see the Aloe Vera flowers bloom...that happens so beautifully and meticulously. Not all Aloe Vera bloom, and when it does, it's once in it's lifetime. I have two window full of Aloe Vera plants...And in both the windows during the rains, the flowers bloomed one after another..Maybe pollination?!
Aloe Vera Bird - There is a typical bird which sits and sucks on the Aloe Vera flowers. And upon surfing on the net, I realized that the bird which had come in my window earlier that day was the same one!and the shades of the flower and the bird are the same! it also has long beak to penetrate well into the long narrow tubular petal arrangement of the flowers. So intricately beautifully well planned the nature is!
Below is the little fellow who set my heart aflutter when I saw him hanging upside down drinking nectar from the Aloe Vera flower, on my terrace. I ran for the camera praying he would not fly off. He was there! Not only that day, was he there but every day till the flowers lasted. It is the male Purple Rumped Sunbird. Mark its maroon breast band and yellow belly and the characteristic long curved sunbird beak.
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Fact File: Purple Rumped Sunbird leptocoma (Nectarinia) zeylonica 10cm.
Resident: Widespread in C and S India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
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Gel preparation - Pulling off the ripe succulent leaf blades, cleaning with water,Cut off the lower leaf part which oozes out yellow bitter irritant latex sap, removing the thorns by cutting off the edges, peel off the top layer and extract the pulp by scrapping off the skin of the leaf with a sharp spoon. It's a million dollar herb, don't waste it..not even a drop of it: D blend the translucent pulp in a mixer and store in fridge up to 1 week. Transfer in spray bottles for ease of application.
