Can aloe aborescens be a houseplant long term?

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irukandjia Sylvania, OH May 10, 2015

I have had this aloe for about 5-6 years. It's been in a large pot for a long time because I wanted it to get big. I do know this aloe, when grown outside, turns into a huge "bush". My question is, can this plant be a house plant long term or will it start to fail soon because it gets root bound? I recently "cleaned" the plant up and took off around 20 babies and passed them around. It's already growing new ones. It seems like now it's at a good size compared to the pot and I know it will keep growing. Will it eventually die in the pot or can I keep it alive like this long term? When I took off the baby aloes, I did add fresh dirt and I fertilize it every so often. I've also attached a picture of all the new tiny plants starting to grow off its base.

I also spelled the name wrong in the title. It's aloe arborescens

This message was edited May 10, 2015 6:26 PM

This message was edited May 10, 2015 6:34 PM

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irukandjia Sylvania, OH May 10, 2015

Also - I've tried finding out about getting this type of aloe to flower inside, and haven't had much luck. It gets a lot of sun. It's in a south facing sunroom, so even in the winter it get sun pretty much all day. I usually move it outside to the patio (In Ohio) in the summer. So, does anyone have any tips on if how, if it's possible, to get this aloe to flower in a pot?

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turtlewalker342 Bradenton, FL(Zone 9a) May 11, 2015

Most Aloe's flower in the fall. winter or spring. For me aloe arborescens does flower that ez or offen (I'm in Fl.) and I have it in ground.

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Baja_Costero Baja California, Mexico(Zone 11) May 11, 2015

I would consider it beyond my abilities (but theoretically possible) to grow one of those aloes long term in a pot indoors. Your plant looks very nice at this point and is already a tribute to good growing. You can prolong its lifespan with judicious pruning, should size become an issue.

A. arborescens starts flowering in late fall here (plants in ground) and is a reliable bloomer, even despite all sorts of neglect and abuse. I suspect spoiling the plant would result in a better show, but plants will even flower before they have properly rooted.

I suspect the reason why your plant is not flowering may relate to the light. The plant could require UV exposure at the right time of year to trigger flowering. Regular window glass blocks most UV so indoor sunlight is actually different from outdoor sun, even though it appears to be the same intensity.

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irukandjia Sylvania, OH May 15, 2015

Thank you so much! I will just have to wait and see. I do love this plant though so I hope it stays healthy!

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