The hand-shadow light test
The free 30-second trick plant pros use: read your hand's shadow to know if a spot has bright, medium or low light — and which plants will thrive there.
Plant Care Basics
Aloe Vera
A sunny-windowsill succulent with a useful gel. Needs light more than water.
Aloe barbadensis miller
An aloe vera plant in a pot. Photo: Mokkie, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Light
Aloe Vera tolerates: bright indirect or some sun. Put it within a few feet of a window; a dark corner will make it weak and leggy.
Watering
Soak, then let it dry out completely — every 2–3 weeks, monthly in winter.
Is aloe vera safe for cats and dogs?
Toxic to cats and dogs (saponins and anthraquinones): vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy. Keep it on a high shelf or in a room pets can’t reach — or pick a pet-safe plant instead. Source: ASPCA — Aloe Vera.
Size and humidity
Typical size indoors: 1–2 ft (30–60 cm). Humidity: not fussy at all.
Top tips
- Flat, stretched leaves = not enough sun.
- Use a gritty cactus mix and a pot with a hole.
- Pups at the base can be separated and potted.
Guides that mention the aloe vera
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