Aloe Vera

This handsome succulent serves double duty. Both as an attractive house or garden plant and as home remedy to promote healing of minor scrapes, cuts or sunburns. For thousands of years folks have harvested the stems of these plants and topically applied the soothing gel to various skin irritations. (Please consult with your physician before using this plant in a medicinal manner).

Aloe Vera is very easy to grow and our mild Central Coast climate is the perfect place for it to flourish. It can be used in a mixed succulent bed or planted solo in a container. Terra Cotta pots are a good choice because they are porous and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Aloe Vera needs sandy, well-drained soil. Provide water infrequently but deeply and allow soil to dry completely before watering again. As with any succulent, do not allow your Aloe Vera to rest in standing water, or it will rot.

Although one would think that being a succulent, Aloe Vera thrives in full sun. On the contrary, this succulent thrives with only 2-3 hours of direct sunlight per day. It can get stressed if exposed to too much direct sun and will turn a pale orange brown. Don’t despair if this happens, just relocate your Aloe to a shadier spot and it will green up in no time.

On a kitchen table, a brightly lit bathroom or a desk at work, the cool greens of Aloe Vera will add a calming, soothing feeling to wherever it lives. We are currently growing Aloe Vera in 4.5” pots. Give us a call, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @clearwatercolornursery.