Aloe maculata
Soap aloe
Family AsphodelaceaeAlso called Zebra aloe, Bontaalwyn, Lekhala
About
Aloe maculata, the soap or zebra aloe (formerly A. saponaria), is a variable southern African aloe and a widely planted landscape plant in warm dry regions.
Field notes
Morphology
Leaves range from red to green and always carry distinctive H-shaped spots. Flowers vary from bright red to yellow but are always in a flat-topped raceme on a tall, much-branched stalk. The seeds are reputed to be poisonous. It hybridises readily.
Distribution & habitat
Widespread in southern and eastern South Africa, south-eastern Botswana and Zimbabwe, from the Cape Peninsula northwards, across many habitats. Widely planted elsewhere, notably around Tucson, Arizona.
History & etymology
The former name saponaria comes from Latin sapo, soap, because the sap lathers in water; maculata means spotted. Local people use the gel in traditional remedies.
Habitat
- Altitude
- Not recorded
- Altitude class
- —
- Native to
- South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe
Cultivation
- Difficulty
- Not recorded
Text adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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