Hello Linda I live in Alexandria, Egypt (a climate very similar to costal parts of southern California) and I casually keep few plants. I have been having an Aloe Vera colony for many years now (about 20 years), and to my surprise , I have had one of the old plants shoot a lovely flower. The point is: I grow them in a balcony, so there will probably not be birds or insects to pollinate it. I have thought of using a brush to pollinate it (I am really eager to grow little ones from seed), but I don't know how effective would this be, and if there is any specific technique to do that other than merely passing the brush over the anther and the stigma of same flower/ neighbouring flowers. I have ONLY ONE PLANT in bloom, and I am worried it would not self polinate. Can you give me any idea on that?

Also in this world of mislabeling, one could go out and buy what my favorite nursery says is an aloe Ferox and really be taking home an Aloe Marlothi. I have been telling them that their grower has them mislabeled. I was doing this to some Opuntia leocotricha they were selling as Opuntia micrdasys last year. they finally have changed them over. I am still very tempted to buy their extremely healthy and large aloe with an an dentity problem. The process of IDing can be confusing and is worthwhile especially with Aloes and our living on the edge of their hardiness zones. Some will melt quickly on a mild cold front and others can stand quite a bit more. For me, it is good to know which ones to move first. Here is my more mature Aloe Ferox for comparison. These aloes change their look as they get older and I think there is deviation amongst the species and purity of seed issues also. This Ferox is very smooth except for the thorns at the yip on the center of the back of the leaves, and a few below. Aloe Marlothi seems to be a real warthog as it grows older. So it might be just a wait and see in which direction it grows. Alow reitzi also looks like a ferox but not a marlothi. Sometimes, during moments of doubt, I think my Ferox is a Retzii.

Hi Joe California :) Saw your post about the aloe. I'm looking to use this plant in my landscape and was wondering if you could share a little more info. I noticed at the San Marcos Growers site that they have 2 yellow aloe arborescens, one is the 'Lutea' you speak of and the other is Yellow Torch Aloe or 'Yellow Torch'. There seems to be no difference really except that it says 'Lutea' reaches 9 ft. and the other 6-8 ft. and it seems the regular Yellow Torch has less curved foliage... hmmm. Anyway, could you please tell me how tall and wide the ones in your garden grow? Also, how fast is the growth? Do the clumps form close to the ground? I'd greatly appreciate all info you care to share :-) I have a 6'x3' area that I'd like to have the aloe as a main foundation in... I was also recommended an aloe striatula plant which grows to 3-5 ft. here. Anyone have experience with these? Here is a link that might be useful: Aloe Striatula

I cannot think of any tree/trunking aloes that would tolerate growing indoors... sorry... I agree with the above glass roof suggestion. Where I live now I have to bring in most of my sensitive aloes for up to 3 months sometimes, and that period of 'sun' by the window is always a huge hit in terms of setting them back, make them etiolate, allowing mealy bug to attack, etc. that it's hardly worth it anymore. I think 1-2 months is about the limit I can keep an aloe indoors and keep it happy without being in a greenhouse situation. Very young, tiny aloes are an exception and fare better... but anything near a foot tall becomes very unhappy by that point... Aloe vera var. chinensis is an exception, though... and commonly kept as a house plant. But I think trying any trunking aloes in that sort of situation is going to be a real challenge.