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I noticed recently that there were two green little stubs growing on my Aloe vera root. I'm a little worried. What are they and is this normal?

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Tips were browning a little when I came back from a 3 day vacation, but I move it to a shadier place . Does not look like a very healthy plant

DancingCupcake WithSprinkles
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    I'm confused by the picture - is this an actual aloe plant, or just a root, and if its a root, isn't it planted in something? Please explain or add another picture of the entire plant – Bamboo Feb 17 '17 at 11:13
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    Looks like roots that have greened up due to light exposure. Have you just uprooted the plant for the photo or has it been like this some time? – George of all trades Feb 17 '17 at 15:58
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    It doesn't seem like there is very much root on the plant – George of all trades Feb 17 '17 at 15:59
  • I like George's answer. If these are growing from a root then they are baby roots exposed to light which causes some chlorophyll and greens them up. They are pointed down...another symptom of roots versus leaves. Need a better picture for sure. And George, these cactus/succulents have relatively SMALL root systems. – stormy Feb 17 '17 at 16:57
  • Please send more pictures if you can...whatever is confusing you please explain as much as you are able. No one is born knowing this stuff!! I am just glad you care enough to come to this site to ASK and learn!!! – stormy Feb 17 '17 at 19:10
  • @ bamboo it a aloe Vera pup :) and it was planted , will add a picture tmr – DancingCupcake WithSprinkles Feb 17 '17 at 19:12
  • @george of all trades, I dug it up today to check for root rots, and I'm not sure , that was all the roots it had when I received it – DancingCupcake WithSprinkles Feb 17 '17 at 19:14
  • @stormy aw thank you This is my first time planting an aloe vera and I really hope I don't kill it , since I'm a horrible gardener And will send pictures tmr ! It's the middle of the night now – DancingCupcake WithSprinkles Feb 17 '17 at 19:16
  • You aren't a horrible gardener, you just are new and learning. Aloe vera in my experience does best if you ignore it some. When your plant's leaves get to be 2 and 3 inches wide, the medicinal benefits seem to become more miraculous. Put the gel on a cut and in half an hour the cut turns black and scabbed! And stinky as heck...young plants not so much. – stormy Feb 19 '17 at 17:08
  • @stormy Well looks like I have a lot to learn from here . and yessss ! It does, that's why I planted it, but I'm planning to wait till it's mature before i harvest it :) how long should I let it grow ? – DancingCupcake WithSprinkles Feb 20 '17 at 07:03
  • When there are enough leaves so you are able to cut one off without a stroke!! Grins!! Takes awhile to get the leaves 2-3 inches wide. Be a good experiment for sure. I had a gorgeous aloe vera with 3" wide leaves and I was amazed how cuts were simply scabbed over and on their way to healed. Then it froze, very very sad. My mom gave me a huge wad of aloe vera JUICE and I had to give it away...GAG!! – stormy Feb 20 '17 at 20:26

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Those green bumps are likely roots starting to grow, but what's odd is why they're green - they should be white if they're not exposed to daylight, so maybe you didn't bury it properly? Just replant it and leave it alone; over time, hopefully, it will put out more roots and more topgrowth.

Looking again, the stump at the base of the plant is quite short; you say you buried the base under soil, but its possible that some light did get to the root nubs because of the shortness of the stump. Over time, they should grow on and become paler, but don't be tempted to look! You'll know over time if the plant has produced good roots because the top will start getting bigger.

Bamboo
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  • Well my aloe Vera plant was exposed to light , I plant it on my condominium balcony. And I did bury it properly, maybe it turn green due to my excessive digging it up to check on it – DancingCupcake WithSprinkles Feb 17 '17 at 19:19
  • Sorry, I meant the root nubs being exposed to light, not the topgrowth - the stump at the base is quite short, so I guess where the roots are forming wouldn't be that far down under the soil, so some light penetration might have occurred. It doesn't mean they won't grow, they'll turn paler as they get deeper into the soil. I'll edit my answer... – Bamboo Feb 17 '17 at 19:29
  • It's okay, no need to apologise :) I'm very greatful for your help , I will try to bury it deeper and I won't be tempted to look ! Thank! – DancingCupcake WithSprinkles Feb 18 '17 at 10:47
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Those are roots (aloes have fleshy roots near the base). The coloration is from aloin content. It's normal, no need to worry.

Those roots are the first, more will come soon if that soil stays moist. Make sure it does not become muddy wet. Also, do not move the plant around in the soil now. In less than a month it'll be rooted in and you'll see new growth pushing from the center. That new growth is what will make the plant look healthy for you. Looks good, I might have used an easy draining mix instead of soil, but you should be ok.

J. Musser
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To answer your question, definitely do not worry. Completely normal, healthy and a good sign...for your plant. Do send more pictures, OK?

stormy
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