Aloes (Aloe spp.) are succulent plants in the Asphodelaceae family, often grown as houseplants for their elongated, fleshy leaves.
Like many succulents, they reproduce both by producing seeds after blooming and by putting out little plantlets called pups or offsets.
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It’s exciting to find little pups forming on the plant. It means your succulent is happily expanding and you can even take those pups and propagate new plants.
But sometimes those pups don’t develop. Why does this happen? In a word: stress.
I imagine it’s hard to make new plants when you’re not feeling well. Our job as gardeners is to figure out the cause and fix it so your succulent can feel better and start sending out plantlets.
In our guide to growing aloe, we cover how to cultivate these plants indoors, and in this article we’ll discuss seven of the most common reasons your plant isn’t producing pups.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
No Pups on Aloe: 7 Common Causes
So I mentioned that stress can cause aloe plants to stop putting out pups. But that’s not the only reason, and “stress” is pretty vague, right?
Let’s get into the specifics:
1. Age
Aloes take a few years to mature, so if this is your first year or two with the plant, it’s probably too young to form pups.
Most aloes start producing offsets when they are around three or four years old.
If your aloe flowers, it’s old enough to produce pups. Similarly, if the plant has reached its mature size for the particular cultivar or species you are growing, it should be able to produce plantlets.
If your plant is old enough to reproduce but you don’t see any pups, then you should start exploring some of the other causes on this list.
2. Disease
Fungal diseases like rust, bacterial rot, and basal stem rot can stress or even kill your plant.
All of these are promoted by overwatering, excessive moisture, or watering on the leaves. You can generally avoid these problems if you only water when the soil dries out completely and apply it at the soil level.
I know it’s tempting to pour water into the center of the rosette. After all, aloes developed their shape, in part, as a way to trap water. But trapping rare moisture in the desert is entirely different from being watered regularly by a loving gardener. Don’t water on the leaves.
Water itself isn’t the only cause, though.
Rust is caused by the fungi Phakopsora pachyfhiza and P. meibomiae. In the case of infection, symptoms include black or brown circular lesions on the leaves.
These lesions may eventually turn hard and black, followed by the leaf dropping from the plant.
It can be controlled by copper or sulfur fungicides, which won’t heal the existing leaves, but will ensure that new growth is healthy.
Coat the leaves once a week until new, healthy growth forms and you can remove the symptomatic leaves.
I personally always keep copper fungicide in my gardening toolkit. It’s so useful for controlling many different fungal diseases in hundreds of species.
Bonide Copper Fungicide
If you don’t already have some, grab a 32-ounce ready-to-use, 16 or 32-ounce hose end, or a 16-ounce concentrate at Arbico Organics.
Basal stem rot causes the base of the plant right above the roots to rot. The succulent will fail to produce new growth and may eventually die.
It’s caused by fungi in the Fusarium genus and there is no cure, though you can propagate cuttings from a beloved plant.
Finally, bacterial soft rot (Pectobacterium chrysanthemi) causes water-soaked spots that can spread and cause the entire leaf to collapse.
As gas builds up inside the leaf, it might look bloated before collapsing. There is no cure.
All these problems not only have the potential to kill your aloe plant, but will also prevent it from sending out pups.
If you can resolve the problem and return the plant to full health, pup production should resume!
3. Not Enough Sun
Many aloe species grow well indoors, obviously, since so many of us keep them as houseplants.
But it can be challenging to provide them with as much light as they need to thrive and reproduce.
A spot in your home might look perfectly bright to you, but the human eye is extremely adaptable and can adjust to dim conditions. It looks bright to the human eye, but a plant might not agree.
Use a light meter to tell you how much sun your plant is receiving.
Or, check on your plant each hour over the course of a day to see what type of exposure it’s receiving. Try to figure out what type of light intensity the plant is getting through the day.
Ideally, your aloe should receive six hours of direct sunlight per day.
That means you need to choose a spot on a windowsill or near a window and situate it such that sunlight will be hitting the leaves for six hours or more.
If your plant is not receiving this much light, choose a more suitable spot and gradually transition your aloe over the course of a week or so to the new exposure.
If after you slowly transition the plant, it begins to develop red, yellow, or brown splotches where the sun is hitting it directly, you might want to reduce the amount of light a little bit.
Just keep in mind that most aloe species grow in full sun in their native environment. They can handle plenty of sun so long as they are introduced to it gradually.
When the aloe is given the right amount of exposure, it should get to work producing those offsets.
4. Overwatering
Overwatering is a common cause of death in houseplants. We want to keep our plants healthy and happy, but sometimes we end up killing them with kindness.
No judgment, I’ve damaged my fair share of plants before I figured out what I was doing wrong.
When we overwater, it drowns the roots, depriving them of oxygen. Without oxygen, the plant can’t take up nutrients from the soil, and the roots eventually rot.
In the early stages, the aloe might exhibit droopy leaves which can look like lack of water even though the soil is adequately moist, and a lack of flowering, new growth, or pups.
If the aloe continues to receive too much moisture, the roots will rot and the leaves will eventually collapse. Now your previously beautiful succulent is destined for the trash heap.
If you catch it before the top collapses, you can stop watering until the soil completely dries up, giving the roots a chance to dry out and redevelop.
It also helps to remove the plant from its pot and cut off any rotten roots. Then, replant in fresh potting soil or in the ground with some added sand to increase the drainage.
5. Pests
Aloe isn’t particularly prone to pest problems, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for an infestation to appear.
Aphids, spider mites, snout beetles, and scale might feed on the leaves and stems, causing stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and – you guessed it – a lack of pups.
Snout beetles from the Curculionidae family in particular can be a real problem for aloe growing outdoors. The adult beetles hide between the leaves and use their long “snout” to suck sap out of the foliage.
If you see small, dark, round spots on the base of the leaves, it’s possible snout beetles are present.
Hand-pick them in the evening and drop them in soapy water. If you do this every day for a week or two, it’s usually enough to stop an infestation.
To be extra safe, you can treat your plant with insecticidal soap once a week. If you catch the beetles before they lay eggs, this should take care of it.
But if they have a chance to lay eggs, which usually happens within a few weeks of sighting an adult beetle, you’ll want to use beneficial nematodes to kill the larvae.
Triple Threat Nematodes
I use the Triple Threat pack from Arbico Organics any year that I see snout beetles, since they can be devastating pests in dozens of plant species.
To apply, you just mix the nematodes with water and saturate the soil in the evening after the sun has set since sunlight kills the nematodes.
If the dark spots appear more than a few inches away from the base of the plant, it’s likely that the beetles are killing the plant from the inside out and you’ll need to dispose of it.
6. Poor Drainage
Poor drainage can cause problems with all kinds of houseplants and in-ground specimens, but it kills a lot of aloe, in particular. Aloe can’t tolerate wet feet at all, not even a little bit.
Even if you believe you’re providing the right amount of water, if your soil is compacted, the potting mix you’re using is too heavy, or the pot lacks holes in the bottom, it can result in poor drainage.
This causes too much moisture to collect around the roots, which results in similar problems as overwatering.
Any potting mix you use should be light and porous. A good commercial product formulated for succulents and cacti is ideal.
Check out Tank’s-Pro Cactus and Succulent mix, for example. It’s made from pumice, coconut coir, and compost.
Tank’s-Pro Cactus and Succulent Mix
Grab a one and a one-and-a-half-quart bag from Arbico Organics.
Improving in-ground drainage is a bit more challenging, but the good news is that aloe doesn’t have a large root structure, so you don’t need to amend the soil too deeply.
Work in lots of pumice, sand, and compost until the ground feels nice and light about six inches down.
If your plant isn’t producing pups, stick a finger into the soil as deep as you can and feel for any moisture. If you feel moisture, especially if it’s accompanied by a foul smell, dig up the plant and examine the roots.
Examine the soil, as well. Roll it in your hand. If it sticks together, it’s too dense. It should fall right apart.
If you see soft, dark roots, prune them off using a pair of clean scissors or secateurs. Then, figure out what’s causing the poor drainage and fix the problem.
Make sure the pot you are using has drainage holes and that they aren’t clogged, use fresh potting soil, and consider growing in a container or raised bed if your ground soil doesn’t drain adequately.
7. Wrong Pot
If you’re growing your aloe in a container, it’s possible that you’re using the wrong type.
Of course, a pot without drainage holes can lead to root rot, which we discussed earlier in this article. But we’re going to assume that whatever you’re using has drainage holes, right?
You aren’t using one of those decorative containers without drainage holes, are you? If so, then that is likely to be the problem.
Otherwise, an excessively large or small pot can cause problems, too.
A small pot will restrict the plant’s growth to the point where it simply doesn’t have the room to send out offsets. But this is rarely the problem. More often, it’s a container that is too large that is the culprit. This is known as overpotting your plant.
Aloe plants have compact roots, so they won’t fill a massive pot. But that’s not the main problem, as overpotting requires you to add more water to the soil to saturate it all and ensure it reaches the plant’s roots.
Excess soil also takes longer to dry out, resulting in the roots staying wet for much longer than they should, potentially leading to root rot. Noticing a theme, here? Too much water is a serious problem for aloe and even if it doesn’t kill the plant, it’ll prevent the production of pups.
Be sure to choose a container that is the right size for your plant. Ideally, it should only extend a few inches beyond the leaves at most.
Finally, material matters. Plastic, sealed clay, and metal tend to retain moisture. Aloe needs a container that allows for rapid evaporation. Terra cotta, wood, or other unglazed clay is perfect.
Here, Pup!
I love a plant that is ready, willing, and able to reproduce itself. Aloe is usually just waiting for its chance to make babies, ready to spread far and wide.
All it needs is the space, time, and above all, the right amount of water.
What do you suspect is causing the problem? Need any help encouraging your aloe to produce pups? Let us know how we can help in the comments section below.
If you want to learn more about growing aloe, here are a few guides you might enjoy reading next:,
