🌿 Aloe

Aloe just got checked.

Most likely diagnosis

Root rot / crown rot from overwatering and poor drainage

This aloe is in serious decline, and the most likely cause is root or crown rot from soil staying wet too long. Aloes need a very fast-draining mix and long dry periods; when they sit in damp soil indoors, the roots collapse and the leaves turn limp, brown, and papery like this. If the soil has been staying wet, that strongly supports rot. If it has been drying out completely, then severe drought or heat/cold stress becomes more likely, but the plant still looks beyond simple thirst at this stage.

83% confidence ⚠️ Problem detected

Save & start plant timeline 🌱 Your next photo becomes the follow-up →

Expert move today ✅

What to do today

Act gently and avoid more water until you know whether the roots are rotten or bone dry.

Stop watering for now.

Check the soil moisture all the way down, not just the surface.

If the base is soft or the soil smells sour, unpot the aloe and remove any black/mushy roots or stem tissue; repot into a very fast-draining cactus mix only after trimming away rot and letting cuts dry briefly before repotting and after repotting keep it dry for several days if the roots are sound, or longer if you had to trim rot; if the plant is mostly firm but just very dehydrated, give one deep watering only after the potting mix is fully dry, then let it drain completely.

Differential diagnosis

Also possible, but less likely

Severe underwatering / dehydration

Cold damage from chilling indoors or near a window

Sun scorch after sudden strong light exposure

Targeted checks 🔎

What would prove it

Feel the soil now: is it damp, cool, or musty deep in the pot?

Gently lift the plant: are the base and crown soft, squishy, or dark?

Slide the plant out if possible: are roots brown, mushy, or foul-smelling instead of firm and pale?」「Do the inner leaves pull out easily from the center? That points to crown rot.

Next expert check-in ⏰

Within 24–48 hours

Check whether it is rot or drought

Do a quick root and crown check. If the crown is soft or the roots are brown/mushy, treat as rot. If everything is firm and the soil is bone dry, treat as dehydration and rehydrate once, then switch to longer dry intervals.

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Turn this into a recovery case

One photo gives a diagnosis. Tracking proves whether the plant is recovering.

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Photo comparisons

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Cause tracking

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Recovery timeline

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Next-step reminders

Don’t leave the diagnosis hanging 🌱

Save it now, then use the next photo to confirm if this was the right call.

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