Aloe Vera
Aloe vera · the Burn Plant
It grows on hot, rocky slopes in the mountains of Oman and the U.A.E., the only place it is truly wild. Everywhere else it lives in pots and on farms, where it has been grown for thousands of years.
Family
Asphodelaceae
Origin
Arabian Peninsula
In the wild
Dry rocky slopes
Indoors
30–60 cm
Growth
Slow
With pets
Toxic
Where it's from
South-east Arabian Peninsula
The Hajar Mountains
Its only confirmed wild home: rocky, sun-blasted slopes at 1,300–2,600 m in Oman and the U.A.E.
Outdoors: zones 10–12
Grown outside only in hot, dry, frost-free places. Elsewhere a summer patio plant brought in before frost.
A lost homeland
Named by Linnaeus for Barbados in 1753, though it was never from there. Its true origin was pinned down only recently.
The burn plant
Aloe vera has been cultivated for roughly 6,000 years. The clear gel inside each leaf is the old burn-plant remedy, used on burns, minor wounds, sunburn and dry skin. The yellow latex just under the skin is a different thing entirely, and a harsh one.
The gel on skin
The clear inner gel is the traditional first-aid use, on burns and dry skin.
The latex is harsh
The yellow sap under the skin is a strong laxative. The FDA pulled it from over-the-counter laxatives in 2002.
A real crop
Grown at scale in Mexico, India and elsewhere for gel used in juices, cosmetics and soaps.
How to keep it
LightFull sun preferred
Tolerates bright indirect, but needs strong light to stay compact and to flower.
WaterSoak, then dry fully
Overwatering and wet roots are the number one killer. Minimal water in winter.
HumidityDry air is fineNo misting. It came from a dry climate.
TemperatureKeep above ~4°CTolerates cool nights; not frost-hardy.
SoilCactus / succulent mixSandy, fast-draining and gritty, never water-retaining.
FeedingBarelyA light feed in the growing season only. Succulents need little.
DifficultyEasyDrought-tolerant and forgiving, except about overwatering.
With petsToxicThe latex carries saponins and anthraquinones. Vomiting, lethargy, diarrhoea if chewed.
PropagationSeparate the pupsA healthy plant throws offsets at the base. Pot them up for free plants.
RepottingEvery 2–3 yearsWhen crowded with pups or root-bound.
What the data says
What it costs
Cheap, mass-produced and everywhere: one of the most cultivated plants on earth.
$5–25
Variegated forms run a little higher. The true plant is no collector bubble; the pricey 'aloes' are usually other species.
Thousands of years on skin
The gel inside the leaf is the old first-aid remedy.
~6,000 yrs
of cultivation. The clear inner gel has long been used on burns, minor wounds, sunburn and dry skin, the original burn-plant reputation.
IUCN · Not Evaluated
In the wild
On millions of windowsills, yet its wild range is a thin sliver.
The whole genus Aloe is protected under CITES, but Aloe vera is specifically exempt: it was removed in 1995 because it is grown as a commercial crop. You can ship it freely while its roughly 520 wild cousins need permits.
When it sulks
Mushy, brown, translucent baseRoot rot from overwatering and poor drainage, by far the most common cause.
Flat, thin, curling leavesThe rare opposite: too long without water.
Brown or red tingeSun stress, often too much direct sun after a dark spot.
Leggy, pale, stretchingToo little light. Move it somewhere brighter.
PestsMealybugs and scale. Wipe the leaves, treat early.
Varieties & company
The varieties
True Aloe vera'Variegata' / Tiger'Chinensis'
Pairs with · keep apart from
Snake PlantEcheveriaHaworthiaMonsteraFernsCalathea
A new plant, every week.
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