Is there a trick to getting an aloe plant to bloom?

[evtubbergh]

We have Aloe Vera in the wild. Where did you read that?

Yes, I forgot about uppotting, you are right. They need to get big. My grandmother-in-law is nuts about aloes so have quite a few and they always go into very big pots.

And if the flowering requirement is darkness, not water and temperatures as would be indicated by imafan26's experience and my g-i-l's aloes then you can also try covering them to simulate darkness (if they are inside). It's a bit like calandiva that need 16 hours of darkness to bloom.

[imafan26]

There are wild aloes and they bloom more often. But the common one that is sold and used to treat burns, aloe barbadensis, is primarily a cultivated species with yellow flowers. That is the one that I have. It is closely related to wild aloes, but the flower is different and they are a different subspecies.

Most of the aloes are threatened in their native habitat. Aloe barbadensis is one of those plants that are more common in cultivation than in the wild. Because it is so commonly grown as a house or garden plant, it is not endangered but still its' native populations are shrinking.

In this article it does say that aloes should be mature enough to bloom when they are about 5 years old. If they are like other lilies, ie amaryllis they not only need age but also size and light to bloom.
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/ar ... ensis.html
http://legacy.earlham.edu/~banvael/aloevera.html

[Sweyn]

What are the requirements for Aloe Juvenna to flower? I mean examples that are kept in pots, indoors.