Aloe Vera Plant Care (Aloe vera)

An aloe vera plant needs three things: at least 4 hours of direct sun, gritty soil in a pot with a drainage hole, and a soak-then-dry watering rhythm, about every 10–14 days in summer and every 4–6 weeks in winter. Nearly every dead aloe died from the same mistake: wet, dense soil in a dim, cool spot.

Aloe vera is a leaf succulent of uncertain wild origin (most likely the Arabian Peninsula), grown worldwide for centuries for the gel in its leaves. The University of Arizona Extension describes it as one of the easiest plants to grow successfully, which is true as long as you treat it like a desert plant and not like a fern.

Identifying aloe vera and its look-alikes

A true Aloe vera forms a stemless rosette of thick, upright, gray-green leaves 8–24 in long, with soft pale teeth along the edges. Young plants and pups often have pale speckles that fade as the plant matures. The RHS lists a mature size of up to 2–3 ft tall and wide after 5–10 years.

The easiest test: snap a leaf of agave and it's stringy; cut an aloe leaf and it oozes clear gel with a thin yellow layer just under the skin.

Light: the factor most indoor aloes lack

Give aloe vera the brightest window you have: south or west facing, unobstructed. The RHS rates it H1C, a full-sun plant that can spend summer outdoors but not freezing winters. In a north window or the middle of a room it survives for a year or two but stretches.

Signs of too little light are predictable: leaves turn long, thin and pale, the rosette opens up, and leaves bend and droop sideways. A stretched aloe never compacts again. The fix is more sun for new growth and, if the plant is badly leggy, cutting off the top and rerooting it (see propagation below).

Acclimate before full sun. Aloes from big-box stores and plants coming out of winter are soft. Put one straight into an unshaded south window or onto a summer patio and you'll see whitish, then brown, scorch patches within days. Start with bright shade or morning sun, then add about an hour of direct sun per day over 10–14 days.

If you have no sunny window, a full-spectrum LED grow light 6–12 in above the rosette for 12–14 hours a day works well. More on window directions in our light guide.

How often to water aloe vera

Water aloe vera only when the soil is dry all the way through, then soak it until water runs from the drainage hole and empty the saucer. Interval depends on pot, light and temperature:

Check before watering: push a wooden skewer to the bottom of the pot and pull it out after a minute. Any dark, damp soil on it means wait. A plastic pot that still feels heavy when lifted means wait too.

Don't water a little at a time, don't mist, and don't let water sit in the center of the rosette, where it rots the growing point. Use filtered or rain water if your tap water is hard; salts show up as a white crust on the soil and brown leaf tips. General technique is in our watering guide.

Overwatered vs underwatered aloe

Both problems produce thin, wrinkled or drooping leaves, which is why people often make an overwatered aloe worse by giving it more water. Look at the base of the rosette and the soil:

Rescuing a rotting aloe: unpot, wash off the soil, and cut away every soft root and leaf back to firm, clean tissue. Let the plant dry in shade for 1–3 days so the cuts callus, then replant in dry gritty mix and wait 2–3 weeks before watering. If the base itself is mushy, the root zone is gone: save healthy pups or cut the clean top off and reroot it. More in overwatering and root rot.

Soil and pot

The garden-center aloe usually arrives in dense peat mix that stays wet for weeks. Replace it within the first growing season.

• Simple mix: bagged cactus and succulent mix (Espoma, Miracle-Gro and Bonide all make one) plus an equal volume of perlite or pumice.
• Alternative: one part all-purpose potting soil, one part coarse sand or poultry grit, one part perlite.
• Target: 50–65% mineral grit by volume. Water should drain through in seconds.

The Arizona Extension recommends a commercial potting mix with extra perlite, granite grit or coarse sand, and a pot with a large drainage hole. Terracotta is ideal: it dries fast and its weight keeps a top-heavy aloe from tipping. Choose a pot only 1–2 in wider than the root ball and shallow rather than deep, since aloe roots spread sideways. See soil and pots for more.

Repotting aloe vera

Repot every 2–3 years in spring, or when pups crowd the pot, roots circle the bottom, or the plant tips over.

1. Water lightly 2–3 days before, so the root ball slides out.
2. Unpot and shake off 70–80% of the old soil.
3. Trim dead or mushy roots.
4. Set the plant at the same depth it grew before; burying leaves invites rot.
5. Fill with dry gritty mix and top with ½–1 in of gravel to keep lower leaves off damp soil.
6. Wait 5–7 days before the first watering so torn roots can seal.

Full technique for all houseplants: repotting.

Temperature and winter

Aloe vera is comfortable at normal US room temperatures, 65–80°F, through spring and summer. In winter it does best slightly cool, 50–60°F, with very little water: a bright unheated sunroom or a window in a cool bedroom. Keep it above 50°F; cold plus wet soil gives black, mushy leaf spots within days.

Avoid the two US-home extremes: leaves pressed against an icy window in January, and a pot right over a forced-air heating vent, which dries tips and cooks the root ball.

Summering outdoors. From late May until nighttime lows drop toward 50°F, a potted aloe thrives on a patio or balcony. Acclimate it to sun first, and bring it in before the first frost. In the ground, aloe vera survives only where there is no chance of freezing, as University of Arizona Extension notes (think southern Florida, coastal Southern California, the low deserts of Arizona).

Fertilizer

Aloe needs little feeding. The RHS suggests a general liquid fertilizer monthly in the growing season; for a houseplant in gritty mix, a cactus or balanced fertilizer at half strength 2–3 times between April and August is plenty. Never feed in fall and winter or right after repotting. Overfeeding produces soft, floppy leaves and salt-burned tips. See fertilizer.

How to propagate aloe vera from pups

Healthy aloe vera spreads by offsets (pups) from underground runners. Pups are the reliable way to propagate; single leaves do not root into new plants, they just rot or shrivel.

1. In spring or early summer, unpot the clump and loosen the soil.
2. Choose pups at least 2 in tall, ideally with 4–5 leaves and their own roots.
3. Pull them apart by hand or cut the connecting runner with a clean knife.
4. Let the cut dry for 1–7 days. The Arizona Extension suggests about a week for unrooted offsets so the wound scabs over.
5. Pot into 3–4 in pots of dry succulent mix and water after 7–10 days; unrooted pups root in about a month.

Rerooting a leggy aloe: cut the stretched rosette off 1–2 in below the lowest healthy leaves, strip a couple of lower leaves, let the stem callus 5–7 days, then set it on dry gritty mix. Water lightly once roots form in 3–6 weeks. The old stump often sprouts new pups. General methods are in propagation.

How to cut and use an aloe vera leaf

Harvest only from a healthy plant with at least 8–10 leaves.

1. Choose a thick outer leaf from the bottom of the rosette.
2. Cut it off at the base, close to the stem, with a clean knife. A trimmed leaf does not regrow; the plant replaces it with new leaves from the center.
3. Stand the cut leaf upright in a cup for 10–15 minutes to drain the yellow latex (aloin).
4. Slice off the spiny edges, fillet off the skin and scoop out the clear gel.
5. Use the gel the same day or refrigerate it for a few days.

Take no more than 2–3 leaves at a time and no more than a third of the plant per year. The center leaves are the growing point; never cut them.

What it is and isn't good for. The Arizona Extension notes that fresh sap is widely used to soothe minor burns and insect bites, but advises against using it for anything more serious without a physician. According to the NIH National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, topical gel may speed burn healing and reduce pain; taken orally, aloe latex can cause cramps and diarrhea, and the FDA had it removed from over-the-counter laxatives in 2002. Hair and skin uses are popular, but the evidence behind them is thin. A houseplant is not a food crop, so don't drink homemade aloe juice.

Flowers

Aloe vera blooms indoors occasionally. A mature plant, usually 4–5 years and older, sends up a 2–3 ft stalk of tubular yellow to coral flowers, most often from late winter to spring. To encourage it: maximum direct sun all summer (outdoors is best), a snug pot, and a cool, dry winter at 50–60°F. In a warm, dim apartment it almost never flowers. After blooming, cut the stalk at its base.

Pests

Aloe has few pests, but two show up regularly: mealybugs, white cottony tufts deep at leaf bases, and scale, small brown bumps with sticky residue. Dab or scrub them off with 70% rubbing alcohol and repeat weekly; for persistent infestations use a houseplant systemic per the label.

Constantly wet soil also attracts fungus gnats. Drying the soil out is usually enough; for more, see our sister site's guides on fungus gnats and how to get rid of them.

Brown, red and drooping leaves: quick diagnosis

• Brown, firm, reddish or bronze: stress color from strong sun or cool nights, harmless. Common outdoors.
• Brown dry tips only: salts or dry heat. Flush the pot and trim tips. See brown tips.
• Brown or black, soft: rot or cold damage. Cut back to clean tissue and dry the plant out.
• Drooping, firm: low light. More sun, heavier pot. See drooping plants.
• Drooping, soft base: rot. Unpot immediately.

Toxicity for pets and kids

The ASPCA classifies aloe as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. The toxic principles are saponins and anthraquinones, with clinical signs of vomiting (not in horses), lethargy and diarrhea. ASPCA notes that the gel itself is considered edible; the bitter yellow latex is the problem. The RHS also lists aloe vera as harmful if eaten by people and pets.

If a pet chews an aloe, call your veterinarian or ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child who ate part of the plant, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Keep aloe on a high, sunny shelf away from curious cats and dogs, or choose from our pet-safe plants instead. It's listed in toxic plants.

Does aloe vera clean the air?

Aloe often appears on "air-purifying plant" lists, but the effect of a few houseplants on the air in a real home is negligible compared with ventilation. Grow it for its looks and its gel, not as an air filter. See air-purifying plants for a balanced view.

Buying a healthy aloe

At the store, choose a plant with firm, plump, evenly colored leaves, a base that doesn't wobble, and no soft or translucent spots. Avoid plants sitting in wet soil or with pale, stretched centers. Small 4 in aloes are inexpensive and grow quickly; large aloe vera plants in 8–10 in pots cost more but give harvestable leaves right away. Either way, plan to repot into gritty soil in spring.

Aloe pairs naturally with other sun-loving succulents like jade plant and echeveria; for a tough plant for a dimmer spot, consider snake plant. Browse more easy houseplants and succulents.