Houseplant · Asphodelaceae
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera
Give it bright light, gritty soil, and a dry rest between drinks, and aloe asks for almost nothing else.
Bright indirect
50–86°F · 10–30°C
USDA 9–11
12–24 in · 30–60 cm
Overview
Aloe vera is the succulent that earns its keep. The plump, gel-filled leaves give it the old names burn plant and first-aid plant, and that same fleshy build is what lets it shrug off a missed watering. It comes from dry country, so it stores its own water and waits out the lean spells.
As a houseplant it is about as forgiving as they come. Set it in a bright window, plant it in a fast-draining mix, and let it dry out hard between waterings. The one thing it won't tolerate is wet feet, which is what kills most aloes that fail indoors.
It is a true perennial that grows slowly and lives for years, throwing off pups around its base that you can pot up into new plants. Mature plants kept outdoors in warm regions may even send up a tall spike of tubular yellow to orange flowers.
Care
The short version: bright light, gritty fast-draining soil, and a deep soak only once the pot has dried out completely. Skip the heavy feeding, keep it warm, and never let it sit in water.
Light
Aloe wants bright light, ideally a sunny window or a spot that gets several hours of sun. It takes full sun once it has been eased into it, but a plant moved straight into harsh light burns, and one kept too dim grows pale and leggy.
Water
This is the part that trips people up. Let the soil dry out completely, then water deeply until it runs from the bottom, and don't water again until it is bone dry. Standing water and a constantly damp pot are what rot the roots and crown.
Soil
Plant in a gritty cactus or succulent mix that drains in seconds, not a dense potting soil that holds water. Aloe likes it slightly alkaline, around a pH of 7.0 to 8.5, which most cactus mixes already sit near.
Temperature
Ordinary room warmth suits it, anywhere from 50°F to 86°F (10°C to 30°C). It is not frost-hardy, so bring any plant summering outdoors back in before the cold arrives.
Humidity
Dry air is no problem at all, since this is a low-humidity desert plant. There is no number to hit and no need to mist it.
Feeding
Aloe barely needs feeding. A dilute balanced houseplant fertilizer once in a while through spring and summer is plenty, and skipping it entirely does little harm.
Pruning
There is little to do here. Cut away shriveled or dead lower leaves at the base with a clean knife, and remove a spent flower stalk once it has finished.
Repotting
Repot every 2 to 3 years, or sooner when pups crowd the pot and roots push through the drainage holes. Move up one pot size into fresh gritty mix and a container that drains.
Size & spacing
Indoors a plant reaches about 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) tall and spreads 12 to 35 inches (30 to 90 cm) wide as it clumps. Give it a pot wide enough for the offsets it throws off.
Troubleshooting
Almost every aloe problem traces back to water, light, or the pot. Read the leaves and you can usually tell which one. Match what you see below and fix the cause, not just the symptom.
Soft, mushy leaves browning at the base
This is root and crown rot, almost always from too much water rather than too little. When the soil stays wet, the roots suffocate and the lower leaves go soft and translucent. Stop watering, lift the plant, cut away the rotted roots and slimy leaves with a clean blade, and repot into fresh gritty mix in a pot that drains.
Fix:
- Stop watering and let the soil dry out
- Remove the plant, cut away rotted roots and mushy leaves with a clean blade
- Repot into fresh gritty succulent mix in a pot with drainage holes
Thin, curling, or wrinkled leaves
Plump aloe leaves store water, so when they go flat and wrinkled the plant has run dry. This is simple drought stress, and it corrects fast. Water deeply until it runs out the bottom, then go back to soaking the soil only once it has dried out completely.
Fix:
- Water thoroughly until it drains from the bottom
- Resume a regular deep-but-infrequent watering schedule
Reddish-brown or scorched patches on the leaves
This is sunburn from too much sun too soon, not a disease. An aloe moved straight from a windowsill into full outdoor light burns on the side that faces the strongest rays. Shift it back to bright indirect light, and next time step it up to stronger sun over a week or two so it can toughen up.
Fix:
- Move the plant to bright indirect light
- Acclimate gradually to stronger sun over one to two weeks
Toxicity
Aloe is safe for people but toxic to pets. The clear gel goes into burn creams and lotions, yet the bitter yellow latex just under the leaf skin holds saponins and anthraquinones like aloin that purge the gut. The ASPCA lists aloe as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, so keep it where pets and small children can't chew it.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Moderate
A cat that chews the leaves usually vomits and gets loose stools, and it may go off its food and turn dull and listless. Watch for tremors or reddish urine, which point to a bigger dose.
Dogs Moderate
Dogs react much like cats, with vomiting, diarrhea, and a flat, low mood. Bigger nibbles can bring on tremors and tint the urine red.
Horses Moderate
The bitter latex purges a horse, so expect diarrhea, a dull manner, and a lost appetite. Tremors can follow a larger feed of the leaves.
Rabbits Toxic
The same anthraquinones that purge other pets hit a rabbit's gut hard. Keep aloe well out of reach, since a rabbit can't safely sample it the way it grazes other greens.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, goats, and sheep that browse aloe take in the purgative latex and end up scouring badly. Fence it off where stock can reach it.
Birds Toxic
The aloin in the leaves works as a strong laxative on a bird's small body, so a curious parrot or chicken should never get at the plant.
People Caution
The clear inner gel is used in plenty of human products, but the yellow latex just under the skin is a harsh laxative that cramps the gut and shouldn't be swallowed. Keep whole leaves away from children, who get both layers in one bite.
This is a medicinal-for-people, toxic-to-pets plant; the inner gel differs from the toxic latex, but pets chewing whole leaves ingest both.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Most aloe sold as aloe vera is the same plant, but a couple of forms turn up often enough to know by name.
Aloe vera 'Chinensis'
This form carries heavier cream spotting on its leaves and grows in a softer, more sprawling shape than the upright type.
Aloe vera var. barbadensis
This is the classic medicinal aloe, grown on farms for the thick, gel-filled leaves that fill so many skin products.
How to propagate
Aloe makes copies of itself with no real effort, mostly through the offsets it crowds around its base. You can also divide a clump or grow it from seed, though seed is the long way around.
Offsets & pupsEasy
Spring to summer during active growth · 4 to 8 weeks to root and establish
By far the easiest way to make more aloe is to lift the little pups that crowd around the base of the parent. Do it in spring or summer while the plant is growing, let any cut surface dry and callus for a day or two, then pot each pup in gritty mix. Give it 4 to 8 weeks to root and settle in.
DivisionEasy
At repotting in spring · 4 to 8 weeks
When you repot in spring, a crowded clump that has thrown several rooted crowns can simply be pulled apart and each crown potted on its own. Like the pups, the divisions take 4 to 8 weeks to find their feet.
SeedModerate
Spring, warm conditions · Several months to a year
Seed is the slow road and rarely worth it. Sow on a gritty mix in spring and keep it warm, but be ready to wait several months to a year for a real plant. Pups give you the same thing far faster.
Myths
Aloe gel is good for people, so the whole plant is safe for pets to chew.
The clear gel people use and the bitter yellow latex just under the skin are two different things. A pet that bites a whole leaf swallows both, and the latex holds saponins and anthraquinones like aloin that bring on vomiting and diarrhea. The ASPCA lists aloe as toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, so keep it out of their reach.