Aloe maculata

Aloe saponaria

Soap Aloe, African aloe, Zebra Aloe

Aloeaceae

South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana

1 Gallon

1'

1-2'

15 to 20°F, -9.4 to -6.7°C

Very high

Full sun to light shade

Extremely drought tolerant

Remove offsets and spent flower spikes as desired.

Excellent in rock, cactus and succulent gardens. Good for xeriscaping as well and can be used as a dry ground cover. Foliage color of this clone is a nice contrast to silvery-blue foliage. Its flowers attract hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Pretty in containers, this is an easy, undemanding Aloe species

Remove and replant offsetting stems. Collect and plant seeds after flowering. Fresh seeds germinate quickly at 65°F

This is a more cold and wet tolerant aloe than many. Leaves are commonly spotted in a linear streaking fashion and in this clone are a beautiful purple hue. The leaves have prominent teeth and the plant is usually stemless. This is one of the more aggressive aloe species, sometimes showing up many feet away from the parent plant. It is a relatively fast grower and very easy to cultivate. It is undemanding about soils and will Grow in thick, poorly draining soils as well as better quality ones. It can be difficult to weed around because of spiny teeth. Aloe saponaria flowers are variable usually yellow, but also red, pink and orange. It flowers primarily in winter but at other times as well. The flowers are usually held in branched stalks and the flower head is a flatted globe in shape – similar to Aloe striata. The leaves contain saponins and can be used to make a soapy lather.