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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A wetland in Västmanland, Sweden
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The (Inca) empire strikes back
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National Roller Coaster Day
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Paris is photo-ready this week
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The Door County Coastal Byway in Wisconsin
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Design for Each and All
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A river on the tundra
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Watson Lake in Granite Dells, Arizona
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Aw shucks, it’s oyster season in Galway
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A showcase for future fame
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Porto Timoni beach, Greece
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Exploring the Pearl of the Atlantic
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Seven Magic Mountains art installation, Jean Dry Lake, Nevada
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Don’t get lost in there
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Let the holiday shopping commence
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On the lookout for Sheep-Cote Clod
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Nubble Island’s only industry
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International Literacy Day
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Venice Skatepark, Los Angeles, California
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From Sputnik to extraterrestrial storms
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Farmers Day
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Happy Syttende Mai!
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Yabba-Dabba-Doo!
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Portland celebrates its bounty
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Feelin groovy on Record Store Day
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Mekong River Delta, Long An, Vietnam
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A tree of many memories
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Dark Sky Week
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Deep in the North Woods wetlands
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Pretty poetic for a pit