Succulents

Aloe Vera - well known and appreciated

The most widespread and well-known and appreciated plant from the family of succulents native to Africa is the Aloe Vera. This plant grows mainly in tropical and subtropical regions and prefers sandy soil. Aloe Vera is not only used as a medicinal plant, but also in food supplements and especially in cosmetics. The wild-growing aloe plant is now protected, which is why the aloe vera plants for industry come from plantations that grow these plants specifically for this purpose.

Sisal - important useful plant all over the world

Sisal is also a useful plant known all over the world. Ropes, ship ropes, upholstery fabrics and hammocks have been made from the very hard, up to two meter long leaves of the sisal plant for many thousands of years. It is often grown as a useful plant on plantations in Africa, but also grows wild.
The money tree is very popular as a houseplant in European living rooms. However, its home is in parts of East and Southern Africa. The money tree is also found in various parts of Kenya. In its natural environment, it can reach an impressive size of up to three meters. The thick, fleshy leaves allow water to accumulate. The small flowers are white to light pink.

Succulents - The diversity of species is great

The desert rose is most common in Kenya and Uganda. Due to its high toxicity, the sap of the desert rose is often used as arrow poison by the natives. This very poisonous plant grows everywhere in the African wilderness, but also in gardens.

The ice plant is a very robust plant. It is very persistent and can survive long dry periods well. Its flowers are bright red with a yellow center. They only show their floral splendor during the sunny hours of the day, which is also the reason for the name "ice plant".

Purslane is a succulent that feels at home in all tropical and subtropical regions of the earth, including Africa. This plant grows on almost any soil, whether stony, sandy, firm or dry. The color of the stems ranges from reddish to reddish-brown. The flowers of the purslane are bright yellow. In different parts of the world, the plant is used as a medicinal plant. In other regions, on the other hand, it is a popular spice and vegetable plant. Countless other succulents are also native to the African continent. The diversity of species is great, not only in the wild, but increasingly also in our living rooms.