Aloe Vera

There are over 200 species of aloe, but we are most familiar with this one because of its gooey sap. It’s in everything from sunburn gel to nutritional supplements. It’s an easy succulent to grow.

It does best when almost completely ignored, so don’t over water it or pay too much attention to it. It is sensitive to frost, so it’s best in a container that you can bring in and protect.

It also rots easily, so don’t overwater or use any compost in the soil around it. Use about half sand, half potting soil in your containers for this plant.

It does love the heat, but it gets scorched in a full day of intense summer sun here in Texas, so it will do fine in a little shade. It will usually be a deeper green in those lower-light intensity areas as well.

Aloe vera produces a lot of offsets, little plantlets that emerge at the base of the stem of your original plant. They can get pretty scraggily if left to their own devices, so it’s best to divide them once those plantlets have begun to get out of control in the container.