Aloe vera
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Forgiving Among the more tolerant plants here.
Also called Aloe, Barbados Aloe, Bitter Aloes, Curaçao aloe, Medicinal Aloe, Medicine Plant, True Aloe and yellow-flowered aloe.
Aloe vera is toxic
- Toxic to cats. Toxic principle: Saponins, anthraquinones. Clinical signs: Vomiting (not horses), lethargy, diarrhea. The gel is considered edible. ASPCA
- Toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: Saponins, anthraquinones. Clinical signs: Vomiting (not horses), lethargy, diarrhea. The gel is considered edible. ASPCA
- Toxic to people. People and pets (dogs, cats, rabbits): harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS
What the sources say about its care
Sources file this plant under other names: Aloe barbadensis (Clemson Extension). Citations below point at the name its source uses.
- Light
- High light 150–1000 fcClemson Extension, filed as Aloe barbadensis · read 11 September 2026Full sunRHS · read 11 September 2026
- Water
- Well-drainedRHS · read 11 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 11 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1C — 5–10°C 5–10 °CRHS · read 11 September 2026- Soil
- Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 11 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- ToxicASPCA · read 11 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- ToxicASPCA · read 11 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- People and pets (dogs, cats, rabbits): harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.RHS · read 11 September 2026
How it usually goes wrong
- Mushy tissue at the base of the aloe vera
Soft, discoloured tissue appears where the leaves join the stem of the aloe vera, and the compost smells stale rather than earthy.
A plant that stores its own water has little use for more. Kept in well-drained soil that stays wet, the stored tissue takes up water it cannot release and the cell walls give way.
Telling it apart: Lift the plant. Roots that are black and slimy confirm rot; pale, dry roots mean the soft tissue has another cause.
RHSAloe vera soft or mushy stem: causes- The plant goes limp and the compost shrinks from the pot
Leaves on the aloe vera turn dull and soft before any colour changes, and water poured on the dry surface runs straight down the inside of the pot.
Water stored in the leaves is spent first and the tissue creases as it empties. That is the reserve doing its job rather than the plant failing.
Telling it apart: Push a finger two inches in. Dry all the way down points at thirst; damp points somewhere else.
RHSDiagnose drooping on this Aloe vera- Washed-out patches that do not spread to the shaded side
Upper surfaces lose colour while the undersides stay green, and nothing below the top of the plant is touched.
Sun through a window on a still day heats a leaf far above the air around it. Its source describes full sun; the glass adds the heat that does the damage.
Telling it apart: The edge of the damage. Scorch has a sharp boundary; rot and infection have a soft, spreading one.
RHSDiagnose spots on the leaves on this Aloe vera
Not sure which it is? Ask the diagnosis questions for Aloe vera.
Routine care
- Watering
- Let the soil dry fully before watering again, and water less often in winter.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026During growth water moderately; during winter dormancy water very sparingly.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- From May to August, feed monthly with a general liquid fertiliser.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Division can be used for propagation.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Sow seed once ripe, or in spring or early summer separate offsets and root them in cactus potting compost.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by mealybugs. Diseases: sooty molds.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Mealybugs and scale insects can attack it. Disease is uncommon.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Move something and watch
Loading the simulator. It needs JavaScript; the care table above does not.
Photographs
About the plant
Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many regions of the world.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- N. Oman (Hajar Mts.)World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Arabian PeninsulaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026SW Arabian PeninsulaRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- desert or dry shrublandWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- succulent perennialWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Perennial, Succulent; habit erectNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Tufted (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 12–24 in; width 12–30 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 0.5-1 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow, orange, red/burgundy; blooms in spring, winterNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers green in summer; yellow in summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
For centuries it has been applied to the skin for cuts, sunburn and other skin conditions. Remove the outer leaf and use the gel alone, and try it on a small area of skin first. Low toxicity if eaten. Used in medicine and drinks when prepared correctly.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Common problems with Aloe vera
Other Aloe
More of the Asphodelaceae family
Alligator PlantSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetCow TongueSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Cushion AloeSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Kumara plicatilisSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Little Zebra PlantSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
- No photograph yetMiniature AloeSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Plants with similar care
Baby rubber plantLeaves turn glassy from the stem outward
Bunny ears cactusLeaves go soft and slightly see-through
Crown of thornsLeaves soften and curl inward
HoyaDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
Jade plantPale dry areas across the upper leaves only
Mexican snowballPale dry areas across the upper leaves only
Sources
- ASPCA · read 11 September 2026
- Clemson Extension · read 11 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 11 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.