Aloe Vera plants are succulents that are popular houseplants and are kept in apartments, offices, and other such spaces.
The Aloe Vera family consists of many plant varieties, and all of these come in different sizes.
Many of us who grow the plant indoors might not have known that it is also capable of blooming.
"Does the Aloe plant bloom?" is a question many plant owners have asked, and the answer is yes!
But the plant needs to be encouraged to bloom, and even so, it will only happen in a mature plant.
So, in today's guide, let's try and understand more about this flower.
What Is Aloe Vera Flower?
The Aloe family has nearly 400 different varieties, and Aloe Vera is one of the most popular ones.
One of the reasons for the popularity of this plant is its easy maintenance.
Providing adequate sunlight, water, and well-draining soil is enough for the Aloe Vera to thrive for many years.
As for the Aloe Vera flowers, they bloom from a plant that is four years or older.
It is essential that your plant is mature for it to produce flowers.
The flowers bloom from an inflorescence that stands upright over the rosette.
The flowers on the Aloe Vera resemble the Red Hot Poker plant, as in they are orange in color and tubular, and they hang from an upright flower stem in a cluster.
The spiky orange-yellow flowers will not grow well in a cooler climate as they are used to growing in dry and arid regions.
The ideal conditions they require to bloom are exposure to bright sunlight and gritty soil.
Why Does Aloe Vera Bloom?
Aloe plants are native to the Mediterranean and Africa, where they are fertilized by birds.
Because of this, they have sturdy flower stalks for the birds to sit on while sipping nectar.
Aloe Vera is made to thrive in desert conditions.
Dry and arid temperatures are ideal for the Aloe plant, which is why they bloom during spring and summertime.
There are only certain times of the year the plant will bloom.
When the blooming season ends, the plant will dry up and fall.
But what do you with an Aloe Vera flower?
Let's find out in the next section.
What To Do With Aloe Vera Flower?
There is nothing much you can do with this plant's flower.
It just looks pretty on the plant, and you can enjoy the bloom till it fades away.
You can also wait for the flower to dry out completely, which will help in collecting seeds of this plant.
The seeds can be used later for the germination process.
You can also save these seeds and gift them to your friends and relatives.
Finally, when the flower fades away, you can remove it from the plant and put it in your compost bin.
Of course, it won't give you a lot of compost for sure, but it's better to recycle it than throwing away in the bin.
How To Make Aloe Flower
Most Aloe Vera plants do not spontaneously produce flowers, owing to their environment and age.
If your plant is mature enough and still does not flower, it is likely that environmental factors are causing this.
Most Aloe Vera owners do not get to see the colorful flowers that bloom on the plant due to lack of proper sunlight.
If your plant is more than four years old, and you want the plant to bloom next spring, repot the plant in autumn.
Repotting the Aloe plant in a smaller container encourages blooming.
Once you do this, fertilize the plant in January with a 10-40-10 liquid fertilizer.
1. Providing Sunlight
Aloe Vera's natural growing regions are dry, rocky, and arid with natural light for most of the day.
You can encourage your Aloe plant to bloom by placing it in a spot where it can get uninterrupted sunlight for the majority of the day.
This spot can be a window sill where sunlight filters through directly, and there is no shade in that area.
Depending on the time of the day, some parts of your house may receive sunlight more than others, so you can keep changing the location of the Aloe Vera so that it gets more sunlight this way.
Greater exposure to sunlight leads to greater chances of the flowers blooming.
During the summer months, you can choose to keep your aloe plant outside, too.
The chances of flowers blooming will be higher if the same desert-like conditions of their natural regions are recreated in your outdoor spaces.
The best temperature during the day is 70 to 85 degrees F. (21-29 C.), and the ideal temperature during the night should not be lower than 60 degrees F. (15 C.)
2. Right Temperature
While Aloe Vera thrives in bright light, giving the plant too much sunlight can be detrimental.
You will know your plant is sunburnt when its leaves start to wrinkle.
If you notice wrinkles or brown spots on the leaves of the Aloe Vera, bring it to a shady spot.
If your plant is indoors, keep a small fan in the same room as the plant so that there is good air circulation and ventilation.
This keeps mildew and molds away from the Aloe.
3. Water
Water the Aloe Vera infrequently.
Do not let it sit in water for too long, as this can damage the fleshy leaves of the plant and turn them soft and mushy.
Wait for the top 1-2 inches of the plant to dry completely before watering again next time.
During the summer and spring months, it is better to fertilize the plant so that the plant is encouraged to bloom.
Two general tips to follow while following the above steps for flowering is that Aloe Vera has delicate spines, and this should not be disturbed while repotting.
The second tip is that Aloe plants should never be allowed to sit in water as it can damage their root system.
4. Fertilizing Aloe Plants
To further encourage flower blooms in aloe plants, fertilizing can help immensely.
They are to use a balanced fertilizer, half of its strength, early during spring and once again during the middle of summer.
Remember to water the plant once before fertilizing so that the roots are not damaged and once after feeding it so that the excess salts that remain in the soil are washed away.
Allowing the excess salts to wallow in the pot will lead to root damage.
Several fertilizers will promise blooms, but only use those that are not high in phosphorous or superphosphate.
A high concentration of phosphorus can damage the plant.
Repot the Aloe plant once every two years to refresh the soil and aerate its roots.
Aloe Vera thrives in smaller containers.
Leave only 1 or 1 ½ inches near the edges of the pot while planting as aloe plants like tightly packed pots.
This also encourages the plant to bloom.
FAQs
As mentioned earlier, Aloe Vera flowers when they are mature (4+ years old) and when they receive direct, bright sunlight for the better part of the day.
Most plant owners might never see their Aloe Vera plants bloom, but that is because of the lack of light the plant is receiving.
If the Aloe plant is doing well, it will definitely bloom at least once a year.
However, replicating desert-like conditions for the Aloe Vera to bloom is quite tricky if you live in cooler climates or areas that do not receive enough sunlight during the day.
The plant will begin blooming in early spring and will last throughout the summer.
According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, the flowers grow best in hardiness zones 10 to 12.
You can continue to encourage the plant to bloom bigger and better flowers by placing the plant outside in the sun.
The flowers do not pose a threat to the plant in any way, nor is it a nuisance.
In fact, the flowers grow in beautiful colors, which enhance the appearance of the plant.
Once summer nears an end, the flowers will fall off on their own.
The remaining stalks can be pruned from the base with a clean cutting tool.
If you want to save the seeds of the flowers, wait for the flowers to dry off on the plant completely, and then you can collect the seeds from it.
Try not to get upset if your aloe plant does not flower.
Blooms are not guaranteed, and sometimes our efforts might not be worthwhile!
Be patient and focus on keeping the plant well so that it will bloom shortly.
Over To You
Aloe Vera flower is a truly rare sight in the gardening world.
If you see your plant blooming, you should just be thankful and enjoy the moment till it lasts.
In case your plant is not blooming, you can surely use some of the tips I have shared in the guide.
Hopefully, these suggestions will help in getting the beautiful flower on your Aloe plant.
If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below.
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Lauren says
My aloe started to form a stalk which is about 3 inches long, then started to form more leaves on top? Almost like it didn't manage to flower and created a new head? And it's making more new shoots in strange places. Anyone know why this is?
Harshad says
Hey Lauren,
It seems your aloe is not getting enough light.
If it is not receiving enough light, it will try to grow towards the light, which can cause it to form a stalk and produce new leaves at the top.
You can try moving your plant to a brighter location and see if that helps.
I hope this helps!
Doug gougler says
I have had my aloe for about 6 years now and it is now blooming for the third time within a year.
Harshad says
That's great, Doug! Most aloes only bloom once a year, so yours is definitely blooming more frequently than most.
You don't have to do anything special to encourage your aloe to bloom.
Just provide it with bright, indirect sunlight and well-drained soil, and it should continue to bloom for you.
Enjoy your beautiful blooms!
Anna says
Do they bloom different colors because of age. I have had mine for 15+ years and gotten yellow and orange colors. Just wondering. Thank you. I give many of mine away and some have also bloomed. But only to people I know care for them. Mine are from small to too heavy to move.
Harshad says
Hi Anna,
Yes, age is definitely a factor when it comes to flowering in the Aloe Vera plants.
I have seen it happening with my Aloe plants over the years.
So, you certainly need to wait a fair bit of time to see the blooms on your Aloe plant.