Just recently my mom's aloe, which we have never had any problems with before, has developed a scattering of what look like little crystals on some of the leaves. it looks like an excretion of some kind, but we have been growing aloe for years and have never seen such a thing. Also, some of the bigger, older leaves are feeling a bit squishier than normal. It should be over-watered or anything, and it is in a catus potting mix, re-potted earlier this summer. is there something wrong that needs fixing?
I've had the same thing happen with one of my cacti (Madagascar palm), but I've never known what it is. It does look like some sort of excretion, and I thought maybe it is related to minerals in the tap water I use. Sorry I can't help you, but it's nice to know I'm not the only person who has seen this.
if anyone has anymore info on this i would really like to know my aloe plant is covered with these crystals and this forum is the only thing that came up when the situation was googled.
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/a/aloes027.html http://www.henriettesherbal.com/eclectic/kings/aloe.html I have 4 different species of aloe, and I too, have seen these crystals. From what I understand, aloes can secrete their juices directly from the outer skin of the leaf...and of course, if scraped, cut, or scale insects have attacked it. The crystals may be nothing more than the remnants of dried aloe juices, not unlike how sugar crystals are formed during the dehydration process. The actual chemical composition of the crystals will vary from species to species, and is why only certain aloes are used for their medicinal value. The above pages may shed some light on this. As to what was the stimulus for your aloe to do this, I don't know. I have not seen this happen with my plants in a couple of years.
