Aloe Vera
Aloe vera
Family Asphodelaceae
Aloe vera is the houseplant with a job: split one thick leaf over a minor kitchen burn and its cool gel goes to work on the spot. In between first-aid calls it sits handsome and sculptural on a sunny sill, asking for very little.
Give it your brightest window and a summer vacation outdoors and it multiplies, producing pups you can pot up for friends. The gel is for skin, not snacks — keep curious pets off it. Every kitchen deserves one within arm's reach of the stove.
Bright light — a south window or outside for summer
Low water
Moderate growth
Attracts bees
Attracts butterflies
Attracts hummingbirds
None winter chill
From the print shop
Growing aloe vera? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries aloe vera — Aloe vera, print Nº 10, “Aloe Vera.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what aloe vera actually needs.
Hardy inZones 9-11Aloe Vera · Common problems
Common aloe vera problems
Aloe Vera · Growing & propagation
Growing aloe vera
- Light
- Bright light
A south window or outside for summer
- Water
- Low
Soak, then let dry completely; plump leaves = hydrated
Soil- Cactus/succulent mix · pH 7.0 - 8.5
Fertilizer- Rarely
Half-strength in spring if at all
Pruning- As needed
Remove spent outer leaves; separate pups to repot.
Spacing- One per pot
How to plant & propagate aloe vera
- Propagate
- Stem/leaf cuttings, division, or pups
Aloe Vera · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Aloe Vera · Yearly calendar
The aloe vera year, month by month
No fixed season calendar for aloe vera — its care follows conditions, not the calendar.
Aloe Vera · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Aloe vera
Aloe Vera in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer succulent
- Attracts
- Bees, Birds, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Moisture- Upland / dry
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What aloe vera is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesGel soothes skin; latex layer toxic if eaten — keep from pets
Traditional use- Burn gel
- Use
- Sunny kitchens
- Use
- Pups to share
- Traditional use rating
- 3/5 in herbal tradition
Harvesting & storing aloe vera
Gel: cut outer leaves as needed.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Aloe Vera · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a aloe vera variety
'Barbadensis Miller' (the medicinal one)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Aloe vera
- Plant family
- Asphodelaceae
- Growth habit
- Succulent · Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- ALBA
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
for Aloe Vera
Research from these sources
Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Questions
Aloe Vera questions, answered straight.
Is aloe vera safe for kids and pets?
With care. Gel soothes skin; latex layer toxic if eaten — keep from pets Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
When do you harvest aloe vera?
Gel: cut outer leaves as needed.
How do you propagate aloe vera?
Stem/leaf cuttings, division, or pups.
Elsewhere
Where aloe vera sits in the library.
Monstera
Golden Pothos
Snake Plant
Heartleaf Philodendron