Last Updated on August 29, 2022 by Griselda M.
Aloe vera seems to hail from somewhere in the Arabian Peninsula – and anybody who has been here will know that this part of the world is very sunny, very hot, and very dry. There are times however when your Aloe vera plant may get a bit pampered in a delicate household environment, and then get a bit of intense sunlight and get burned. Let us look at what happens when an aloe gets burned, and how we can avoid it, or fix the problem. The Aloe too much sun appearance issue!
Aloe vera is a plant known for its medicinal benefits. It is used by many cultures around the world for treating burns, sunburn, skin infections, as well as various ailments. Aloe vera is a succulent plant that produces a clear gel from the leaves of the plant. Although aloe is very popular, it is important to keep an eye on how much sun you expose your aloe plant to.
Aloe plants need sunlight to produce their beneficial properties. Give an aloe too much sun however and it will become sunburnt. Too much sunlight can even kill your aloe plant. There are many ways to prevent your aloe plant from dying due to too much sun exposure.
Do you have aloe plants at home? Do you want to know how they look when exposed to too much sunlight? If yes, then keep reading because you’ll be surprised by what you learn! Let’s dive into this article looking at what happens if you give an aloe too much sun and how to deal with the results.
How Much Sun Does an Aloe Plant Need?
Aloe vera as we have already mentioned is a desert-adapted plant from the Arabian peninsula. Humans have however bred this plant to produce many new cultivars, some of which are somewhat less hardy than the original plants.
Aloes employ a photosynthetic system called CAM photosynthesis – this allows them to be much more water efficient by opening their pores at night, absorbing carbon dioxide, and storing it as organic acid intermediates that are then used during the day, when there is sunlight, to perform photosynthesis. This process is however not wildly productive as it is a stop-start process. For a nice summary of the photosynthesis methods of plants, this is a great explainer.
So what this means is that your aloe plant is basically adapted to be able to tolerate a lot of sunlight – but it does not actually need a lot to survive. In this regard, I have grown aloes in very shaded places and in places that receive direct high-intensity light as well. The aloes grown in shade adapt to these conditions and are more susceptible to being burned by the sun. To move aloes from a shady area to a sunny area you need to harden them off – move them into spots with increasingly intense sunlight.
If you expose an aloe to too much sunlight too quickly it will tend to get little burnt patches on its leaves. I just cut these leaves off and use them for various household uses. In addition to using aloe leaves for putting on the skin, and all the normal uses you see people talk about on the internet, I often put an aloe leaf in my chicken’s water. This seems to make the chickens healthy. I also use the leaves to root cuttings of herb plants such as perennial basil.
Read more about Does Aloe Vera Smell Bad?
Did you give your Aloe Too Much Sun?
How will you know if you did this? It is quite simple. You will see little sunburn patches on the leaf. These start a bit mushy and then form scar tissue over time. The car tissue is normally a yellowish grey color. It can be brown too. This can be unsightly, but the leaves will normally survive. If you really over did it, then the leaves will die.
It is however really difficult to actually kill an aloe. Really difficult. There will normally be some kernel of life left in the heart of the plant and it can recover. I often recommend to people that live in regions that receive snowy winters (ie areas where the days get really short in winter) that a bit of supplemental lighting is useful for the aloe. This, together with making sure your plant does not get frosted, should keep it alive and photosynthesizing. Aloes actually thrive if they have warmish days with light, and cold nights – this is when many species actually flower.
How To Deal With Aloe Plant Which is Exposed To Too Much Sun?
As mentioned earlier, if you have burned your aloe, you can probably just leave the burnt leaves on the plant until it recovers. However, if you find this looks unsightly, cut the burnt leaves off and use them for making gels for your skin, putting them in chicken water for the chickens, or even to root seedlings. Aloe gel is an incredible stimulant for rooting seedlings.
What Does an Aloe Plant Which is Sun Burned Look Like?
Aloe plants can be difficult to keep alive in a home. They should always be kept in an area that gets a lot of sunlight. When an aloe plant is exposed to too much sun, brown spots can occur on its leaves. In that case, the aloe is sunburned and has to be removed from direct sun exposure.
Aloes are drought tolerant so you do not need to water them too often. It is best to water and aloe, and then let the soil dry out and only then water it again. If aloes have too much water they grow too fast and their leaves can become more sensitive to sunlight.
A tough, slow-growing aloe is more tolerant of bright sunlight. Remember, Aloe vera originally hails from the Arabian peninsula where rainfall per year is only a few inches! These plants are drought tolerant.
Conclusion On Aloe Too Much Sun Exposure Effects
In conclusion, aloe vera is a great skin health food. It is highly recommended to use aloe vera gel as a face mask because it soothes sunburn, removes impurities, and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth. If you get a few aloe leaves that get burnt – harvest the leaves and use them for medicine for yourself! If the weather is hot enough to burn your aloes chances are it has been hot enough to give you a sunburn too!
If your aloes are getting burned often, try to shade them a little on sunny days. All in all, an aloe plant that is not over watered, and that are provided with adequate sunlight every day should be pretty tough and resistant to burning. Always ensure that the soil in your pot gets dry before you water an aloe. This helps the plant a lot and forces it to toughen its leaves up and also improves the quality of the plant medicinally.
FAQ
What to do for aloe vera plant with too much sun?
If an aloe gets burnt try and shade it a bit. Reduce watering, and allow the soil to dry out between watering cycles. This forces the plant to grow more slowly, and to produce tougher leaves.
What does aloe vera look like with too much sun?
Aloes under stress can turn a redder color. This is not anything to be worried about - the plants actually get tougher when they turn this red color (as long as the cause is not overwatering). If an aloe gets burnt, you will see discolored scars appear on the leaves. These can be brown or yellow. I have sometimes seen entire leaves get burnt so they become soggy and dangle downwards. That leaf damage is irreparible.
How do you revive an aloe plant that got too much sun?
Move the aloe to a less sunny spot if it is in a pot. If it is in the garden we normally just take a few branches of a hedge and stick them in the ground around the plant to give it a bit of extra shade. Water the aloe once a week. They are pretty tough plants and almost always recover.
Can an aloe plant recover from sunburn?
Yes. If they get burnt, provide a bit of shade and water weekly. They will recover most of the time. If you managed to kill an aloe you have special skills!
Read more about A Deeper Look At Aloe Ferox vs Aloe Vera
Branko is the world‘s most enthusiastic gardener! He is always on the hunt for the perfect flower, bush or tree to add to his ever–growing garden. He is known for his love of all things green, and his passion for nurturing the plants he grows is unmatched. He loves to get his hands dirty and can often be found humbly tending to his garden at all hours of the day. Branko is the go–to guy when it comes to gardening advice – he is always happy to share his knowledge and wisdom with anyone who will listen. He also loves to play pranks on unsuspecting visitors, so beware if you enter his garden!
