How To Grow And Care For Aloe Vera Plants Outdoors

Prized for the soothing gel that comes from its leaves, aloe vera is part of the 420-species Aloe genus and was formerly known as Aloe barbadensis. Aloe vera is commonly grown as a houseplant, but you can grow this succulent outdoors, too, as long as you're aware of its cold-weather limitations, direct-light intolerance, and soil needs. Aloe vera is relatively easy to grow and maintain. A bonus for those who grow the plant outdoors is the appearance of striking red or yellow blooms on spikey stalks, which rarely appear on plants grown indoors.

Before you grow aloe vera, you may be asking if growing aloe vera is dangerous. It's true that the yellow latex sap (not to be confused with the clear gel) inside the plant carries a low level of toxicity that causes skin irritation if touched and stomach symptoms if ingested. Wearing gloves and long sleeves while handling the plant and washing your hands afterwards should help you avoid issues. And don't consume the sap.

It's also important to set expectations on where you can grow aloe vera outdoors year-round — USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 12. Aloe vera will not survive freezing winter weather. If you're in a cooler zone, you can grow aloe vera outdoors in containers and bring them indoors once nighttime temperatures go below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The aloe vera's temperature sweet spot is between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Aloe vera is rarely grown from seed, so when you grow it outdoors, you'll be growing bare root or starter plants in pots. You can plant them in well-drained rocky or loamy soil. Slightly acidic soil at about 6.0 on the pH scale benefits this plant. Aloe vera should get six hours of direct sun daily, but is sensitive to heat as an outdoor plant, so you may want to provide some sun protection if you're in a hot climate.

Aloe vera needs very little water and should be watered only when the soil is completely dry, about every two weeks and less frequently in winter. The plant is susceptible to root rot, so avoid overwatering. Provide succulent-specific plant food in early spring and mid-summer. Aloe vera pests are limited to mealybugs and aphids, while diseases affecting these plants are sooty mold, scale, aloe rust, and leaf spot. If your plant's leaves get brown tips, check out pruning tips for a healthy aloe vera plant. 

Further, if you're growing outdoor aloe vera primarily for its soothing properties, you'll want to know how to safely harvest the gel from your aloe vera plant. For a small quantity, you can snip off a piece of leaf; use one or more whole leaves for a larger quantity. Then access the gel by slicing the spikey edges from the leaf and peeling off the green top layer.