Not Your Mama’s Old Aloe

Aloe maculata

We garden club members get together from time to time and swap plants. At one of these gatherings, someone brought a group of plants with succulent leaves which had sharp stickers down the margins of each leaf. It was labeled "Aloe maculata, Soap Aloe." One look convinced me that this was not a plant I needed in my garden. Mr. Al, my neighbor, however, is a gardener who has a bit more vision and an adventuresome spirit. He got a few of the plants and planted them in a sunny area out by the street just to see what they would do.  

Hailing from South Africa, this aloe is hardy from Zones 8b–11.  It is evergreen in these zones. A hard freeze will damage the foliage, but it comes back reliably. Soap aloe forms a stemless rosette of ground-hugging foliage. Pale green, lance-shaped, thick succulent leaves are splashed with white speckles. Showy orange to red tubular flowers bloom several times a year on branched stalks held well above the foliage. Each year the clump expands, and the show gets bigger and better. 

Growing Soap Aloe 

Plant soap aloe in sandy, well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Although bloom is best in full sun, the plants look better if some protection from hot, afternoon sun is provided. I have noticed that some of the plants next door have burned leaf tips, and this most likely would not have happened if they had been protected from intense sun. 

Caring for soap aloe is easy. Divide clumps if they become too crowded. Although the plants can exist on natural rainfall, supplemental water during dry periods will keep the leaves attractive and plump. Removal of old flower stalks will keep the plants neat. Fertilize once during the growing season with a light sprinkling of balanced fertilizer, and protect from hard freezes. 

Excellent salt tolerance makes this aloe a good choice for seaside gardens. Drought tolerance allows it to be used in cactus or rock gardens. Soap aloe grows well in containers. Very little soil is needed for it to thrive. Hummingbirds are attracted to the brightly colored, tubular flowers. 

Get additional plants by dividing large clumps, or simply remove some of the small plants, or pups, from the outside edges of the main rosette. Pot them up or plant them in the garden where they are to grow. Fresh seeds also germinate quickly. 

Aloe Species 

About 100 species of aloe exist, according to the GRIN Taxonomy website. Aloe maculata may be listed in catalogs and on-line sources as A. latifolia and A. saponaria, which are synonyms. It is placed in the Aloaceae family by some taxonomists. I thought when I first saw it that it might be an agave, but such was not the case. Although the two are often confused, Agaves (Agavaceae family) have fibrous leaves, while aloes (Asphodelaceae family) have juicy, non-fibrous leaves. 

Uses and Cautions 

Sap lathers in water and can be used as a soap substitute. Use with caution, however, for the sap is an irritant to some people. Avoid placing in areas where children play or near walkways because stems can easily pierce tender skin of children, pets, and ungloved gardeners. 

Mother always grew Aloe vera in her kitchen windowsill. She kept it on hand for insect bites, burns, and other skin irritations that affected her children. I follow in her footsteps, for a pot of aloe is always in my kitchen where it is handy for various maladies.  

The handsome Aloe maculata (soap aloe or tiger aloe), however, is not your mother’s common old Aloe vera. The showy flowers have made it a striking addition to my garden. All this just goes to show that first impressions are often not the right ones. It grows as beautifully in my garden now as it does in Mr. Al’s. Many of my friends have gotten starts, and the beautiful flowers grace our gardens several times a year.