Aloe vera

Sun

Full sun to light shade outdoors, with afternoon shade in very hot climates. Indoors, provide the brightest window available and introduce direct sun gradually.

Water

Water thoroughly, then let the potting mix dry out before watering again. Water much less in winter, especially in cool conditions; never leave the pot standing in water.

Soil

Very free-draining, sandy or gritty soil. In containers, use cactus compost with added pumice, perlite or horticultural grit and a pot with drainage holes.

Height

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m); flower stems may reach 3 ft (0.9 m)

Spread

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m), becoming wider as offsets form

Flowers

Usually late winter to summer, depending on climate; upright spikes carry tubular yellow flowers. Indoor plants often do not flower.

Foliage

Evergreen. Thick, tapering, grey-green leaves form upright rosettes, with small teeth along the edges. Young leaves often have pale spots; mature leaves are usually less spotted.

Growth

Slow to moderate, fastest in warm, bright conditions

Care needed

Low

• Check that the potting mix has dried before watering; empty saucers afterwards.
• Feed container plants once or twice during spring and summer with a half-strength cactus fertiliser.
• Move plants into stronger sun gradually to prevent scorched leaves.
• Bring containers under cover before frost; keep them bright, cool and mostly dry through winter.
• Separate crowded offsets in spring or early summer, and repot only when the clump outgrows its container.

Pruning. Remove dead or badly damaged outer leaves at their base with a clean knife whenever needed. Cut spent flower stems near the base after flowering; do not trim healthy leaf tips.

Spring

Check drainage, repot crowded plants and separate well-developed offsets.

Late spring

Once nights are reliably frost-free and warm, move indoor plants outside gradually, starting in light shade.

Summer

Water deeply when the mix dries and give one light feed if growth is active.

Late summer

Check leaf bases for mealybugs and remove spent flower stems.

Autumn

Bring pots under cover before frost and reduce watering as growth slows.

Winter

Keep plants in bright light, protect them from cold glass and draughts, and water sparingly.

• Use a single rosette in a simple terracotta or concrete pot as a small architectural feature.
• Group with echeverias and other compact succulents in a sunny, free-draining container.
• Plant in raised gravel beds with drought-tolerant companions where winters are frost-free.
• Repeat pots along a sunny courtyard edge, keeping the toothed leaves clear of narrow walkways.

Garden styles it suits: Desert modern, Architectural minimal, Modern courtyard, Mediterranean, Desert / xeriscape and Small-space.

Plant it with: Echeveria, Jade plant, Golden barrel cactus, Blue chalk sticks, Lavender and Rosemary.

Wildlife: Outdoor flowers provide nectar for bees and, where present, nectar-feeding birds such as hummingbirds. Plants grown indoors offer little wildlife value.

• Root and crown rot: soft, collapsing leaves usually indicate prolonged wetness. Remove rotten tissue, repot sound material into fresh gritty mix and reduce watering.
• Mealybugs: white cottony clusters collect around leaf bases and roots. Isolate affected plants, remove visible insects and use a product labelled for mealybugs on succulents if needed.
• Sun scorch: sudden exposure to strong sun causes bleached or brown patches. Move to light shade and increase sun exposure gradually; damaged patches will not recover.
• Cold damage: frost causes water-soaked patches and collapsing leaves. Move plants to frost-free shelter, keep them dry and remove dead tissue once damage is clear.

Toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten, especially the yellow latex beneath the leaf skin; ingestion can cause vomiting or diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort and lethargy. In people, swallowing the latex or whole-leaf preparations can cause severe cramps and diarrhoea, with dehydration after substantial exposure. Clear inner gel is much less hazardous but can irritate skin or cause allergic reactions; do not treat the whole leaf as edible. Keep cut leaves and plants away from pets and children.

• Soap aloe (Aloe maculata)

  Usually has broad, flattened rosettes with conspicuous pale leaf spots and branched flower stems bearing orange to reddish flowers; Aloe vera usually has yellow flowers and less-spotted mature leaves.

• Lace aloe (Aristaloe aristata)

  Forms much smaller rosettes of short leaves covered in raised white dots, each ending in a fine bristle.

• Century plant (Agave americana)

  Has much larger, tougher leaves with strong terminal spines and substantial marginal teeth. Each rosette dies after flowering, unlike Aloe vera.

The Latin species name vera means 'true', distinguishing it as the true aloe.

Propagation. Separate offsets in spring or early summer once they have several leaves and preferably their own roots. Let any cut surfaces dry for a few days, then pot into free-draining mix and water sparingly until established. Leaf cuttings are unreliable and commonly rot.

Accepted botanical name

Aloe vera

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Hawaii, the lower 48 states, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.

Native range

Oman.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.