Please help me identify a houseplant

Quasar

Hello,

A neighbour left me two plants when she moved away, and for the life of me I have no idea what they are. I seem to be doing the right thing though,m because from little shoots they've become huge and I'm afraid the pots are too small now, but I'm not sure how to go about repotting them in case I kill them.

Can anyone tell me more about them? They're rubbery and have spikes along the edges. I've taken pictures with my mobile phone and hope they're clear enough. Thanks.

floyd

Looks like aloe vera, if you break open a leaf it should ooze a clear liquid that you can use on cuts and burns

floyd

tanith

Yes I'd say it was Aloe Vera too....

Quasar

Oh my goodness!! I have Aloe Vera in the house! Thank you very much floyd and tanith. I shall now do some research on the net on how to care for it properly.

kippers

I think Aloe vera too

koala987

Yes, I agree too, aloe vera. I've got some in the house but mine are tiny in comparison. They're quite easy to look after - being a succulent, they just need watering now and again - probably no more than once a month in the winter.

Usually "baby" plants grow round the base so you can, if you wish, pot these up and have lots more to keep or give away.

Quasar

koala987 wrote: »

Yes, I agree too, aloe vera. I've got some in the house but mine are tiny in comparison. They're quite easy to look after - being a succulent, they just need watering now and again - probably no more than once a month in the winter.

Usually "baby" plants grow round the base so you can, if you wish, pot these up and have lots more to keep or give away.

Yes I've noticed the little baby plants and potted one a couple of weeks ago. It's already bigger! My worry is that these plants are getting rather huge and the small pots will be insufficient. I'm not that knowledgeable so I fear I might kill tjem if I do something more than just water them now and then.

koala987

Quasar wrote: »

Yes I've noticed the little baby plants and potted one a couple of weeks ago. It's already bigger! My worry is that these plants are getting rather huge and the small pots will be insufficient. I'm not that knowledgeable so I fear I might kill tjem if I do something more than just water them now and then.

Don't worry, I think they're quite hardy and will be ok if you wish to repot them in a slightly bigger pot. As you have seen, the baby plants take to repotting ok.

Below are links to two websites, giving tips on caring for aloe vera. When repotting, it says choose a wider pot rather than a deep one. Good luck - I'm sure the plants will be fine.

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/aloe~vera.html

http://garden.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Aloe_Vera_Plants