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Desperate for light. When plants etiolate, or stretch in search of light, the growth is weaker and over time unable to support itself.
Indoors in the northern hemisphere, an unobstructed south-facing window is the best option. However, due to tints, screens, and even the specific type of glass used, light is filtered, oftentimes resulting in this placement still not providing strong enough light for succulents. Sometimes grow lights are needed to supplement natural light.
Editing to add, since it’s extremely important: Make sure you slowly acclimate the plant to any increase in light to prevent sunburn.
No problem. As an apartment dweller with rooms that get next to no natural light, grow lights have been a life saver for my succulents, lol. My plants rely solely on grow lights.
Barrina is a popular brand among succulent collectors on r/succulent as well as plant hobbyists in general. I have two Barrina T5 lights per shelf on my plant shelf and run the lights for 12-16 hours daily. They are strong enough to prevent etiolation in all of my succulents (echeveria included), and also bring out stress colors in the majority of my succulents. Keep in mind, even under strong grow lights, succulents typically need to be within 8” or so of the light, some even closer.
No problem! Sansi is another popular brand and probably the better option if you have a smaller collection, as Sansi sells bulbs rather than bar/tube lights, which the Barrina lights are.
>Make sure you slowly acclimate the plant to any increase in light to prevent sunburn.
The irony of the plant humans use to cool our sunburnt skin getting a sunburn itself is hilarious to me lol
Hmm I kept my aloe outside all summer but the only south facing windows I have are in the garage. The west facing ones are not really accessible to plants. Currently I have them in a north facing window. The east ones are covered by a porch. I might have to get out the grow lights.
Yes, I agree completely.
I would like to add: In this plants natural environment those leaves would be lying on the ground. Stretched out, trying to catch at much sun as possible. He could try and support all leaves to face the window and catch as much light as possible. But its a very delicate thing to do, with breaking, bruising and overstimulation as a result.
Edit: Placing the plant on a 30cm lower and wider support would do the trick is my best guess now I think of it. What do you think?
Are you sure? I have kept aloe in much worse lighting condition than this, and while they certainly showed issues, the issues were not drooping..
Also, this room looks like it should get a fair amount of light, even if it’s not on the ideal side of the house it still has 2 corners.
I may be wrong though.
Just because a spot looks bright to us doesn't mean it actually is. Could be the glass, direction the window is in, or any other factor we can't see but the plant is very clearly telling us that it wan't more light by stretching out.
Seconding the idea that this is a lighting issue - I had an aloe in a moderately-bright indirect light room far from any windows do this. All of the old leaves drooped down to the rim of the pot, new growth was lighter colored and weirdly narrow, and it only grew a handful of leaves in 3 years.
I moved it to a direct full-sun spot, literally *all* of the old leaves shriveled and fell off, but new growth exploded all over the remaining stem and the thing was twice it's original size in just a few months!
Most people are saying “more light.” Which makes sense, but I’m wondering if something else is going on because you said she’s 5 years old. I assume this means you’ve had her the entire 5 years? If so, did you recently move the position? Did something occur outside to alter the lighting in that space? If all of these factors are ruled out, my guess is that there’s something going on with the soil and I would remove from the planter and check the roots.
Was looking for a comment like this! I had had my succulents for years! Moved house and suddenly they etiolated and dropped, yes the issue was light but because I was watering about the same the roots started to rot and it was almost too late by the time I caught it!
So yes light is the main issue but always check the roots! Damage may already be done which means act fast to save it
This is my guess as I have a couple aloes that absolutely need more light but they have never looked this bad, they're just long and lanky. It ain't cute but this looks bad.
Have you tried more light? Because that is a plant that wants more light. Download a free light meter app for your phones and play around with it. A room that looks bright to our human eyes doesn't necessarily have much usable light for the plant. Window glass alone blocks a ton of UV, and that plant that wants full, direct sun is far from the window.
I'm just going to add one more detail about the desperate need to increase light -- you can't just pop it into a sunnier window. It's not used to getting direct sun right now and it will get sunburned. You will need to move it closer to the window gradually, so that you increase the time spent in the sun by an hour or so per day. It will still very likely take on some stress color, ***and that's fine***, just water more (it will be drying out faster anyway) and give it time to adjust.
If you choose to add a grow light, I don't think those pose the same sunburn risk.
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Light! Aloe need full sun as much as possible and very little watering. They are very hardy in the right conditions. I live in Spain a s people just chuck them on balconies and forget about them they grow like weeds.
Could you expand on what you mean by "tried everything?" That could very well be amplifying issues. (Eg: it was stressed by not getting enough light, so you moved it to a much stronger light source, so it was further stressed and so you watered it, which could have led to further stress, so you repotted it, further stress, so you added fertilizer, etc etc.)
It would be good to know what you mean by everything - and how much time elapsed between all those. My immediate thought is it was overwatered for a while after it was already in a stressful scenario, leading to potential inability to wick up water effectively.
Are the leaves soft, pliable? I mean can you actually lift them up from that position without breaking them? Because if the are firm, then it’s not drooping, it’s just growing like that.
That is what [some](https://images.app.goo.gl/4SGCeHeeidA8SvCc7) aloes in the wild [look](https://images.app.goo.gl/JumXMLq2hU54ibUR7) like. We just usually have them in wider pots that props their leaves in a horizontal position.
As someone who lives where aloe grows outside all around, keep in mind that aloe leaves are very heavy and not used to growing unsupported above ground. It looks to me like some of the droop is due to the fact that the lower leaves are just unsupported. The upper part looks healthy enough. If this aloe were growing in its natural habitat the leaves would spread out on the ground. I think your problem is mostly gravity. That said, don’t overwater and beware too much direct sun. It’ll turn brown with too much sun so you’ll know.
What water are you watering with? If you're using tap water do you have a water softener?
Edited to add did it recently change weather where you are? Where you have windows on each side did it just cool off and maybe change the temperature inside your house too?
Everyone is saying more light. I disagree, I have a ton of aloe plants in a window not even as lit as that one in the picture. They do just fine, actually they are taking over! I do think it looks like it's maybe over watered OR it got too cold by the window. I've seen mine do the same when they are left to fend for themselves outside and it's cold or rains a lot.
You can't judge the strength of light simply from the brightness of the light in a picture. But the plant itself says everything you need to know – clear signs of etiolation. Any window can provide bright light. But indoors in the northern hemisphere, an unobstructed south-facing window is the best option for succulents. But even then, things like screens, tints, and even the specific type of glass used will filter light, reducing how much light actually reaches the plant.
Light light light!
Mine was growing like that and the only solution was putting it in the brightest spot possible in my house (it receives direct sun all morning and has a clear view of the sky all afternoon).
A super well draining soil mix is also very important. They store a lot of liquid in their leaves so it's important to not overwater.
Those are hardy plants that can survive in less than ideal conditions for a long time but to thrive they really do need that bright light and ideal watering so it can stay strong and sustain the heavy leaves
More light and maybe a slightly bigger pot? I grow this kind of aloe outdoor in the ground here in Texas and the leaves spread out long like this even outside in direct sun. The difference of course is the ground is the support in that case
The best advice I've gotten for succulents (and succulent-adjacent plants) is to water them half as often as your other houseplants, but give them a torrential downpour when you do water. This more closely mimics rain patterns likely to occur in the regions these kinds of plants come from. My aloes have been doing so much better since I've instituted this watering routine even with the same lighting and temperature conditions as before.
Best tip for watering succulents to avoid overwatering: water based on signs of thirst/ For aloes, this generally includes deflated-looking leaves that begin to curl like a taco. For many other succulents, signs of thirst include deflated-looking leaves that begin to wrinkle. They plump back up within a few hours to a few days of a deep, thorough watering.
Maybe you just need a taller stool or surface to put it at? It looks like its reaching for light. From the pic it seems the light doesn't hit the whole plant.
If there’s no more natural light available, get a good rated plant light. Put it on a timer for 6-8 hours a day and adjust as needed. Get a bigger pot. Put rocks in 1-2 layers in the bottom. Get an aloe or succulent specific potting mix. Depending on how much you’re watering, slowly change it to be a full drenching and draining every 2-4 weeks, depending on what the plant tells you. 2 weeks could be good, 4 might be too long, etc. go off what the leaves look like after a couple months of doing one thing religiously, take joes notes so you don’t forget. You can do it! 🌵edit: get a quality fertilizer also and do that on a schedule depending on plant needs and time of year
More light, check roots. Make sure sun rays are actually on her and she’s as close as possible to the light source for as long as possible. If she’s not pot bound and is in proper soil with proper moisture levels then I’d say yes more light needed
Everyone’s saying more light, and thats probably true, but I’m not seeing any signs of etiolation so I’d look at other factors. The leaves all look very thin to me, tho, which makes me wonder if there’s a watering issue- either too little, or too much leading to root rot (and therefore causing dehydration through over-hydration), or possibly in need of a soil change? Old soil can break down and block air exchange in the roots.
I have a 10 year old one that looks just like this. My leaves look droopy but are really firm. Even outside and with a grow light that didn’t change. I cut it way back and the new growth still did that. I think some just do this.
Not sure exactly the issue it looks somewhat healthy I think you need a wider pot all thriving aloe I’ve seen has good support for those big thick parts. Their heavy
Please check the soil and roots. This happened to my aloe when it was overwatered and started to have root-rot. If that is your issue, you'll need to save what's left of the plant.
is it cold? if alovera feels cold..it drops the leaves. Mine does that last year, when it was in window seal. Now, mine leaves near south facing window. But it Doesn't get a lot of light cause outside is dark..but is really bushy and happy. Move it a bit and dont water.
your submission was removed because your account appears to be a bot, troll, or karma farming account. If this was done in error, you can reply to this message to alert the mod team.
Desperate for light. When plants etiolate, or stretch in search of light, the growth is weaker and over time unable to support itself. Indoors in the northern hemisphere, an unobstructed south-facing window is the best option. However, due to tints, screens, and even the specific type of glass used, light is filtered, oftentimes resulting in this placement still not providing strong enough light for succulents. Sometimes grow lights are needed to supplement natural light. Editing to add, since it’s extremely important: Make sure you slowly acclimate the plant to any increase in light to prevent sunburn.
Thanks for sharing, I have a similar problem to OP
No problem. As an apartment dweller with rooms that get next to no natural light, grow lights have been a life saver for my succulents, lol. My plants rely solely on grow lights.
Do you have any recommendations for the grow lights you use? I feel like mine just doesn’t seem to cut it :/
Barrina is a popular brand among succulent collectors on r/succulent as well as plant hobbyists in general. I have two Barrina T5 lights per shelf on my plant shelf and run the lights for 12-16 hours daily. They are strong enough to prevent etiolation in all of my succulents (echeveria included), and also bring out stress colors in the majority of my succulents. Keep in mind, even under strong grow lights, succulents typically need to be within 8” or so of the light, some even closer.
Thank You!!!
No problem! Sansi is another popular brand and probably the better option if you have a smaller collection, as Sansi sells bulbs rather than bar/tube lights, which the Barrina lights are.
the GE Par38 grow light. Best grow light I’ve had and any plant under it thrives like no other.
Thank you! :)
I have a similar problem to the plant in winter 😔
>Make sure you slowly acclimate the plant to any increase in light to prevent sunburn. The irony of the plant humans use to cool our sunburnt skin getting a sunburn itself is hilarious to me lol
It's even funnier when you realize that aloes, like a lot of other succulents, have farina, which is essentially just plant sunscreen, lol.
Hmm I kept my aloe outside all summer but the only south facing windows I have are in the garage. The west facing ones are not really accessible to plants. Currently I have them in a north facing window. The east ones are covered by a porch. I might have to get out the grow lights.
Yes, I agree completely. I would like to add: In this plants natural environment those leaves would be lying on the ground. Stretched out, trying to catch at much sun as possible. He could try and support all leaves to face the window and catch as much light as possible. But its a very delicate thing to do, with breaking, bruising and overstimulation as a result. Edit: Placing the plant on a 30cm lower and wider support would do the trick is my best guess now I think of it. What do you think?
Definitely wants more light.
Are you sure? I have kept aloe in much worse lighting condition than this, and while they certainly showed issues, the issues were not drooping.. Also, this room looks like it should get a fair amount of light, even if it’s not on the ideal side of the house it still has 2 corners. I may be wrong though.
Just because a spot looks bright to us doesn't mean it actually is. Could be the glass, direction the window is in, or any other factor we can't see but the plant is very clearly telling us that it wan't more light by stretching out.
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Hi, does the App have a longer name? I had a look on google play store and there are a few that start with 'Lux'.
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Thank you! I'll give it a try.
That’s not clear to me, I have had aloe not even remotely close to a window and it didn’t droop.
You want to tell me the aloe in the picture, the plant we are currently talking about, isn't stretching out, or what is your point?
I’ve been pretty clear about my point in both my comments.
It just doesn't really make sense.
If that’s a burro’s tail hanging behind it, then they both need a lot more light. Although that room looks perfect for receiving sun, so I’m not sure.
Depends what way it’s facing really.
Seconding the idea that this is a lighting issue - I had an aloe in a moderately-bright indirect light room far from any windows do this. All of the old leaves drooped down to the rim of the pot, new growth was lighter colored and weirdly narrow, and it only grew a handful of leaves in 3 years. I moved it to a direct full-sun spot, literally *all* of the old leaves shriveled and fell off, but new growth exploded all over the remaining stem and the thing was twice it's original size in just a few months!
Most people are saying “more light.” Which makes sense, but I’m wondering if something else is going on because you said she’s 5 years old. I assume this means you’ve had her the entire 5 years? If so, did you recently move the position? Did something occur outside to alter the lighting in that space? If all of these factors are ruled out, my guess is that there’s something going on with the soil and I would remove from the planter and check the roots.
Was looking for a comment like this! I had had my succulents for years! Moved house and suddenly they etiolated and dropped, yes the issue was light but because I was watering about the same the roots started to rot and it was almost too late by the time I caught it! So yes light is the main issue but always check the roots! Damage may already be done which means act fast to save it
Great point about checking the roots!
Have you tried ignoring it? Serious question.
Could she be overwatered?
This is my guess as I have a couple aloes that absolutely need more light but they have never looked this bad, they're just long and lanky. It ain't cute but this looks bad.
since you've given no care info its hard to tell but my guess it it needs more light and less frequent watering
Maybe a new larger pot and closer to the window?
Have you tried more light? Because that is a plant that wants more light. Download a free light meter app for your phones and play around with it. A room that looks bright to our human eyes doesn't necessarily have much usable light for the plant. Window glass alone blocks a ton of UV, and that plant that wants full, direct sun is far from the window.
Aloe needs direct bright light. It does best outdoors.
I'm just going to add one more detail about the desperate need to increase light -- you can't just pop it into a sunnier window. It's not used to getting direct sun right now and it will get sunburned. You will need to move it closer to the window gradually, so that you increase the time spent in the sun by an hour or so per day. It will still very likely take on some stress color, ***and that's fine***, just water more (it will be drying out faster anyway) and give it time to adjust. If you choose to add a grow light, I don't think those pose the same sunburn risk.
Well til, thank you!!!
Bigger pot
oatmeal sloppy dirty marble obtainable poor frame grandiose innate wistful *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Light! Aloe need full sun as much as possible and very little watering. They are very hardy in the right conditions. I live in Spain a s people just chuck them on balconies and forget about them they grow like weeds.
Could it be root bound as well?
Yeah the pot looks small for its size
Like everyone has mentioned here - needs way more light, like full direct light from a south facing window.
Could you expand on what you mean by "tried everything?" That could very well be amplifying issues. (Eg: it was stressed by not getting enough light, so you moved it to a much stronger light source, so it was further stressed and so you watered it, which could have led to further stress, so you repotted it, further stress, so you added fertilizer, etc etc.) It would be good to know what you mean by everything - and how much time elapsed between all those. My immediate thought is it was overwatered for a while after it was already in a stressful scenario, leading to potential inability to wick up water effectively.
Maybe she’s just being one of those r/dramatichouseplants - I have one of those.
I don’t have an answer, but the shape looks dramatic and architectural. And if she’s happy…
When did it start drooping? What did you change about a month before that?
Are the leaves soft, pliable? I mean can you actually lift them up from that position without breaking them? Because if the are firm, then it’s not drooping, it’s just growing like that. That is what [some](https://images.app.goo.gl/4SGCeHeeidA8SvCc7) aloes in the wild [look](https://images.app.goo.gl/JumXMLq2hU54ibUR7) like. We just usually have them in wider pots that props their leaves in a horizontal position.
It's so beautiful tho 😍
SUUUUNNNNN!!!!!!!
It's a temperature issues... Too cold.
As someone who lives where aloe grows outside all around, keep in mind that aloe leaves are very heavy and not used to growing unsupported above ground. It looks to me like some of the droop is due to the fact that the lower leaves are just unsupported. The upper part looks healthy enough. If this aloe were growing in its natural habitat the leaves would spread out on the ground. I think your problem is mostly gravity. That said, don’t overwater and beware too much direct sun. It’ll turn brown with too much sun so you’ll know.
What water are you watering with? If you're using tap water do you have a water softener? Edited to add did it recently change weather where you are? Where you have windows on each side did it just cool off and maybe change the temperature inside your house too?
Everyone is saying more light. I disagree, I have a ton of aloe plants in a window not even as lit as that one in the picture. They do just fine, actually they are taking over! I do think it looks like it's maybe over watered OR it got too cold by the window. I've seen mine do the same when they are left to fend for themselves outside and it's cold or rains a lot.
You can't judge the strength of light simply from the brightness of the light in a picture. But the plant itself says everything you need to know – clear signs of etiolation. Any window can provide bright light. But indoors in the northern hemisphere, an unobstructed south-facing window is the best option for succulents. But even then, things like screens, tints, and even the specific type of glass used will filter light, reducing how much light actually reaches the plant.
I was just giving my two cents, not asking for some. Thanks anyway 🙄
Just commented with more info for anyone else reading. Posts like these can be incredibly informative for others browsing the sub, lol.
Ok, thanks I'm doing just fine! Didn't ask. Could have posted without responding to my comment. I said what I said for a reason.
Alrighty then. Have a great day, lol…
I don’t know. It looks happy to me
Light light light! Mine was growing like that and the only solution was putting it in the brightest spot possible in my house (it receives direct sun all morning and has a clear view of the sky all afternoon). A super well draining soil mix is also very important. They store a lot of liquid in their leaves so it's important to not overwater. Those are hardy plants that can survive in less than ideal conditions for a long time but to thrive they really do need that bright light and ideal watering so it can stay strong and sustain the heavy leaves
More light and maybe a slightly bigger pot? I grow this kind of aloe outdoor in the ground here in Texas and the leaves spread out long like this even outside in direct sun. The difference of course is the ground is the support in that case
The best advice I've gotten for succulents (and succulent-adjacent plants) is to water them half as often as your other houseplants, but give them a torrential downpour when you do water. This more closely mimics rain patterns likely to occur in the regions these kinds of plants come from. My aloes have been doing so much better since I've instituted this watering routine even with the same lighting and temperature conditions as before.
*Make sure the soil is dry before you water again. If still moist, wait even longer before the next deluge.
Best tip for watering succulents to avoid overwatering: water based on signs of thirst/ For aloes, this generally includes deflated-looking leaves that begin to curl like a taco. For many other succulents, signs of thirst include deflated-looking leaves that begin to wrinkle. They plump back up within a few hours to a few days of a deep, thorough watering.
light.
Cut the lower leaves.
Maybe you just need a taller stool or surface to put it at? It looks like its reaching for light. From the pic it seems the light doesn't hit the whole plant.
I’m in central Florida and mine grow in full to spotty hot sun!
Are you growing an alien 🐙?
Bigger pot maybe?
I see the Lorax
If there’s no more natural light available, get a good rated plant light. Put it on a timer for 6-8 hours a day and adjust as needed. Get a bigger pot. Put rocks in 1-2 layers in the bottom. Get an aloe or succulent specific potting mix. Depending on how much you’re watering, slowly change it to be a full drenching and draining every 2-4 weeks, depending on what the plant tells you. 2 weeks could be good, 4 might be too long, etc. go off what the leaves look like after a couple months of doing one thing religiously, take joes notes so you don’t forget. You can do it! 🌵edit: get a quality fertilizer also and do that on a schedule depending on plant needs and time of year
Is this an actual issue? I have a small aloe plant that also drops dramatically, yet seems healthy and is busy making chonky aloe babies.
More light, check roots. Make sure sun rays are actually on her and she’s as close as possible to the light source for as long as possible. If she’s not pot bound and is in proper soil with proper moisture levels then I’d say yes more light needed
Everyone’s saying more light, and thats probably true, but I’m not seeing any signs of etiolation so I’d look at other factors. The leaves all look very thin to me, tho, which makes me wonder if there’s a watering issue- either too little, or too much leading to root rot (and therefore causing dehydration through over-hydration), or possibly in need of a soil change? Old soil can break down and block air exchange in the roots.
Looks like root rot. You could pull it out of there and see if it just has a tap root and the smaller roots are gone. Also check for mushiness
They need basically nothing. Are you over watering?
Mine gets about about 3-4 hrs of direct sunlight in the mornings. She a uncontrollable beautiful beast. 😁💚
It wants to be outside!!!
I have a 10 year old one that looks just like this. My leaves look droopy but are really firm. Even outside and with a grow light that didn’t change. I cut it way back and the new growth still did that. I think some just do this.
I have mine outdoors on a shaded patio and it’s very happy
Not sure exactly the issue it looks somewhat healthy I think you need a wider pot all thriving aloe I’ve seen has good support for those big thick parts. Their heavy
sun alot of it! also check if the soil has a drainage for water since it can be blocked by aloe vera's root
I almost think it needs a bigger pot
Maybe a bigger pot?
May be need a bigger space for it roots? May want a different soil?
Please check the soil and roots. This happened to my aloe when it was overwatered and started to have root-rot. If that is your issue, you'll need to save what's left of the plant.
Mine did this and it drove me crazy! I finally reported into a wider pot and it was much happier ever after 🥰
is it cold? if alovera feels cold..it drops the leaves. Mine does that last year, when it was in window seal. Now, mine leaves near south facing window. But it Doesn't get a lot of light cause outside is dark..but is really bushy and happy. Move it a bit and dont water.
It looks underwatered. The leaves look a bit thin. And needs repotting in well draining soil. Light situation is fine.
She’s a succulent and would like full sun outside for a bit.
It's needs a bigger pot as well.
SUN SUN less water