Aloe Vera

A letter arrived so water-damaged one guest filled in the missing words from memory, more sure of them than the ink ever was. The Aloe Vera on the sill keeps its own memory too — every mark it's ever taken is still in there, just quietly healed over.

Care

• Botanical Name: Aloe barbadensis mill.
• Common Name(s): Chinese Aloe, First Aid Plant, Burn Aloe, True Aloe
• Description: A stemless succulent with thick, fleshy, toothed leaves, native to the Arabian Peninsula. Low maintenance, blooms a yellow tubular flower in summer, and its leaves are widely used topically for minor burns.