Aloe vera is an easy to care for indoor plant popular for several health benefits related to the skin. But does Aloe vera need sunlight?
Yes, it is best to grow Aloe vera in sunlight. It is ideal for Aloe vera to receive 6 – 8 hours of direct or indirect sunlight.
Thus it is best to place your indoor Aloe vera in the southern or western window of the house.
How much Sunlight Does Aloe vera require?
Aloe is native to North Africa and hence they are habitual of the Sun.
Sunlight provides both light as well as warmth. It also aids in drying the water of the soil. This aids Aloe vera to avoid root rot.
Do note, Aloe suffers much more from Overwatering than they do with underwatering.
If planted outside, Aloe vera would need about 6 – 8 hours of sunlight if you are in a relatively cooler place where fog is common.
Aloe planted in a pot inside the house would need direct or indirect sunlight for 6 to 8 hours. If sunlight is not accessible, you can supplement the light with a grow light.
Effect of less sunlight on Aloe vera
Too much sun can cause the Aloe to dry out. The symptom of this would be yellowing of the Aloe vera leaves. You will need to provide additional watering to revive the plant.
If your Aloe is planted in a garden outside, we would recommend providing a bit of partial shade.
And if, your Aloe vera is potted inside, move it to a position where it receives a little less sunshine.
Effect of too less sunlight on Aloe vera
It is not ideal for Aloe to receive less than 3 hours of sunlight.
Shade would make Aloe vera dull, droopy, and lack of bloom. It would be leggy as it would try to grow towards a light to revive itself.
Less sunlight will also mean that water would not dry out from the soil and may increase the chances of root rot.
Less sunlight is a real possibility if you have potted your Aloe inside. To make better conditions for its growth or to revive the plant if it has become droopy, we would recommend you to move the plant to a better lighting area.
Note – Do not move your aloe from low light to full sun right away as it may shock the plant. Give it a week to be in partial shade to adjust before moving it to bright sunlight.
If relocating is not possible, you would want to be more cautious with the care. Only water the plant if the soil is dry when you do a 2-inch dip test. Further, you would need to grow light to meet the light requirement.
Can Aloe vera grow without sunlight?
No, it is not possible to grow Aloe vera without sunlight. It is an essential requirement.
It can tolerate up to 3 – 4 hours of indirect sunlight with some additional grow light. But anything below can be seriously detrimental to its growth.
Can aloe vera grow in shade?
Yes, it is possible to grow Aloe vera in shade. If the plant is receiving 6 – 8 hours of indirect sunlight, there is no need to make additional light arrangements.
But, if the plant is receiving between 3 to 6 hours of sunlight, you would need to put it under a full spectrum grow light for it to meet its light requirement.
Conclusion
Aloe vera is not a fussy plant. It can grow in full sunlight or indirect sunlight. But it would require 6 to 8 hours of sunlight.
If it receives less than the ideal sunlight duration of 6 hours, you would need to supplement with the help of grow light to avoid leggy growth.
But Aloe vera cannot live without sunlight as it is one of the essential requirements!
