Aloe vera, sometimes described as a "wonder plant", is a short-stemmed shrub that only occurs in cultivation - it cannot be found in the wild. Some related Aloes occur naturally in North Africa. An Aloe is a genus containing more than 500 species of flowering succulent plants.

Aloe vera is widely used today in:

food - it is approved by the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) as a natural flavoring
cosmetics
food supplements
herbal remedies