The illustrated growing guide
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera
Family Asphodelaceae
Est. zones 9-11
The kitchen first-aid plant: split a leaf over a minor burn. Flat, thin leaves mean thirst; mushy brown base means drowning.
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 Herbs, Greenery & Desert collection carries aloe vera — Aloe vera, print Nº 8, “Aloe.”
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
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Overview
Will aloe vera suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
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 at a glance
Common aloe vera problems
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Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow aloe vera: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate aloe vera
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The year
What aloe vera asks for, month by month.
The aloe vera year, month by month
No fixed season calendar for aloe vera — its care follows conditions, not the calendar.
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Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Aloe Vera in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer succulent
What aloe vera is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesGel soothes skin; latex layer toxic if eaten — keep from pets
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.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of aloe vera, ruled as a catalogue.
Best aloe vera varieties & cultivars
'Barbadensis Miller' (the medicinal one)
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Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to aloe verayet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
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Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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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.
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Elsewhere
Where aloe vera sits in the library.
Monstera
Golden Pothos
Snake Plant
Heartleaf Philodendron