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4.7 out of 5 (1348 experiences)


About Aloe vera
Sunburnt folks around the world turn to Aloe to soothe their skin, but did you know humans have been using Aloe for almost 4,000 years? 🤯
Beyond sunburns, Aloe vera gel is known for soothing a variety of ailments such as wounds, skin infections, hair loss, eczema, and more. Aloe was known worldwide for its healing properties and became a skin care staple across ancient cultures in Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylonia, and China. 🧴
Aloe is a sun-loving plant that evolved in the deserts of the Arabian peninsula. They’ve developed many clever tricks that help protect them from the harsh rays of the sun, many of which help soothe us as well! 😎
Taxonomy
Aloe vera
Aloe
Asphodelaceae
Asparagales
Also known as
Barbados Aloe, Burn Aloe, Coral Fire, True Aloe and Aloe vera 'hedgehog'

How to care for Aloe vera
How often to water your Aloe vera

every 12
Aloe vera needs 0.5 cups of water every 12 when it doesn’t get direct sunlight and is potted in a 5" pot.
Use our water calculator to personalize watering recommendations to your environment or download Greg for more advanced recommendations for all of your plants.
Water 0.5 cups every
12
Finding light for Aloe vera in your home

a window
Aloe vera love being close to bright, sunny windows 😎.
Place it less than 1ft from a south-facing window to maximize the potential for growth.
Aloe vera does not tolerate low-light 🚫.
Select your region to see how the current weather in your area affects the placement of Aloe vera in your home 🏡.
How to fertilize Aloe vera

Most potting soils come with ample nutrients which plants use to produce new growth.
By the time your plant has depleted the nutrients in its soil it’s likely grown enough to need a larger pot anyway.
To replenish this plant's nutrients, repot your Aloe vera after it doubles in size or once a year—whichever comes first.
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Help Aloe Vera What do you guys think is happening to this plant?
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Aloe doesn’t look happy since repot What’s up with him? He’s in succulent soil and has drainage :(
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Pruning There are some stems on my #AloeVera plant that are flat with little to no aloe in them. Should I snip these ones off? If so, should it be at the base or just under the flat parts?
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Need Advice!!! Hey guys! I just got an aloe plant for free from a coworker. It seems to be struggling and I would like to get her set up for success! Elle, my aloe plant, has one main shoot that is quite large (I think she’s too big for this 4” nursery pot) and about 6 pups shooting off. With that being said, plus her current state pictured below, what should I do here? My office is cold and doesn’t get a lot of natural light. I was hoping the pups can be repotted, but I’m not sure. ALL ADVICE/TIPS welcome!!! #AloeVera #NewPlants #help
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What does it mean when the leaves bend like this? A few have bent and they break eventually from the weight. Homer lives in my bathroom and there's a few new ones coming up. #aloevera #succulentsquad
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Should I remove this leaf? #AloeVera I noticed my aloe looked dusty so I was wiping it with w damp cloth and I noticed one of the bottom leaves has two black spots. No other leaf has these splotches, so should I just remove the leaf in case it spreads or should I leave it be? If I harvest it, is it safe to use in my skincare #AloeVera #NewPlantMom #
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Let today be the mark of the first time I harvested aloe from Bruce! Hoping to use this small batch for skincare
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Hi I’m New To Becoming A Plant Owner Any Tips This Is My Plant & I Named Her Nazaree After My Granny 🫶🏾 Excited To Be Here #AloeVera
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I’m noticing some dry brown spots on the leaves of the plant is that supposed to happen? #AloeVera
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Can it survive in cold weather? #AloeVera
Care Summary for Aloe vera
Aloe vera
Greg recommends:

0.5 cups every 12 days

< 1ft from a window

Repot after 2x growth
Based on the 4” pot your plant is in, and that it doesn’t get direct sunlight.

What other plant parents say












This plant was a gift from my sisters teacher as a baby aloe. My mom is not good with plants and he was dying so I swooped in and took care of him. He's grown so much and has given me many baby's even though he is a bit neglected, I have since paid more attention and he is doing great!








Don’t overwater this poor baby! Once a week is usually sufficient! I love that in larger plants, it propagates on its own and is simple to remove the new plants into another container! I occasionally feed mine leftover plain coffee watered down, and it seems to help it grow larger. I have an enormous outdoor planter with an aloe that’s so large that it’s falling over. I’ve cut it back and reported at least three times in the past four or five years!!





* This plant sits in a west-facing window sill in a small terracotta pot. I water it about every 15 days or so.*
This plant is not one of my favorites. It's just an aloe. I can't remember how I acquired it, but it's been hanging out in my window sill for years now. One daughter says they are good to eat (yuck). One daughter says they are good for her skin (okay). I keep my plant out of reach of my daughters.
Word to the wise: DO. NOT. OVERWATER. EVER.
