Plant guide:ðŸŒĩ Aloe Vera
Back to Plant Clinic
⚠ Minor
ðŸĐš
Light

Sunburn on Aloe Vera Leaves

Commonly affects: Aloe vera (Aloe Vera)

A reddish-brown or bleached patch develops on leaves, especially after a sudden move from indoor or shaded conditions to intense outdoor sun.

Potential Causes

  1. 1Sudden exposure to intense direct sun without a gradual acclimation period
  2. 2Moving an indoor-grown Aloe outdoors for summer without hardening it off first
  3. 3An unexpected heatwave hitting an already-stressed plant

Solution Steps

  1. 1Acclimate the plant gradually over 1-2 weeks when moving it to more intense light
  2. 2Provide light shade during the hottest, most intense exposure while acclimating
  3. 3Damaged tissue won't heal, but new growth will be unaffected once the plant adjusts
  4. 4Note that a reddish tinge under strong sun is sometimes a normal stress-colour response rather than true burn — distinguish by checking for actual tissue damage

Prevention Tip

A mild reddish tinge in strong sun can be a normal, harmless colour response in some Aloe varieties — true sunburn shows as actual bleached or damaged tissue.