Aloe isn"t just that itch-relief ooze you buy at the supermarket. Aloes are some of the most splendid succulent plants in nature, coming in many shapes and colors. While the rubbery, gel-filled leaves of most aloe plants are long and spear-shaped, those of the pictured Aloe polyphylla species are stout and tightly set—one of many examples in nature of a near-perfect spiral. Commonly called spiral aloe, it"s a coveted garden plant with specific growing conditions that make it hard to keep alive. Even in nature it"s rare and native only to the chilly mountains of Lesotho, a tiny kingdom entirely surrounded by South Africa.
Why, aloe there
Today in History
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Canada Day
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They’re grrrape!
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Brain coral
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National Park Service Founders Day
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Giving Tuesday
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The Canary Islands, Spain
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Penn Station
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Saint Nicholas Day in Verbier, Switzerland
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Kinder Scout, Peak District National Park, England
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A species worth defending
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Tokyo welcomes a futuristic new art museum
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Cherry blossoms at the National Mall, Washington, DC
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Daiichi Tadami River Bridge, Fukushima, Japan
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A view from the top
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Ancient art in the Amazon
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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
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Languid life on the Lakes
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A star is borne by seaweed
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Red lechwe, Okavango Delta, Botswana
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Brown pelican, San Diego, California
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Colorful cows of the reef
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Saguaro cacti, Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona
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Splügen Pass, Switzerland
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Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington
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Marine Day in Japan
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Happy New Years Eve!
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World Space Week begins
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Banggai cardinalfish with sea anemone
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International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
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Black Fell in England s Lake District