Aloe Plant Care Guide

Plant Care Cheat Sheet

Difficulty Level: Easy
Light Requirements: Bright light, full sun okay
Humidity Requirements: Room humidity okay

The Aloe plant can be a beautiful addition to your plant collection, or a useful addition to your medicine cabinet. This plant is well-known for it's topical healing properties, and is native to Africa.

A large aloe plant in a Western window

Light

Aloe plants, like other succulents, need bright sunlight during most of the day. They can be grown outside in full sun if properly acclimated - however don't put it directly in the full sun if your plant is used to growing indoors. Slowly move it closer and closer to the sun so your plant can acclimate without causing burn damage on the leaves.

Aloe plants enjoy an unblocked Southern or Western exposure, right next to the window where they can soak up the sun.

The Western exposure window where I keep my Aloe gets direct afternoon sun

Watering, Humidity, and Soil

The Aloe plant is drought resistant, and does not need watering often - depending on how much sun it gets. The best way to tell when a Aloe plant is thirsty is by feeling the leaves. The leaves will feel less plump when they are dry. If you tend to over-water your plants, wait until the Aloe tells you it's thirsty before watering to avoid root rot!

The size and type of pot your Aloe is in will also impact its watering requirements. Our guide on choosing the right pot for your houseplant covers this in more detail, however I always recommend potting succulents in terracotta to help wick away extra moisture.

My Aloe gets bright direct afternoon sun from a Western exposure, and is in a medium-sized terracotta pot. I typically water the large Aloe every other week in the Spring-Fall. The small aloe, which is still developing it's root system, is watered weekly. It will need less water in the Winter months.

Jade, like most other succulents, will be fine in standard room humidity.

A young aloe plant, recently cut from the parent

Propagating Aloe

Unlike many other succulents, Aloe can not be propagated via leaf cuttings. However, the Aloe will propagate itself by shooting off new babies from the mother stem.

When you see an offshoot pop out of the soil, wait until the young aloe is the desired size (at least a couple inches tall). Then, use a sharp knife or shears to cut the offshoot as close to the mother stem as possible.

Replant the offshoot in well-draining soil.

A young aloe offshoot growing from the mother plant

Toxic to pets!

Although Aloe may be used topically to help calm skin irritations, it may be toxic when consumed.