Soap aloe maculata

(This plant comes in a 3.5-inch pot. All our plants are grown under the same conditions, although not all the plants are the same. You will receive a similar plant in size and shape to the ones in the pictures. Our plants are hand-picked and carefully selected to bring you the best quality possible. Please allow us up to 3 business days to process your order. If you wish to receive your order on a specific date, or have special instructions, please add a note at the checkout. The plant is shipped in its pot to prevent any damage to the roots.)

The foliage color depends on light intensity; pinkish red in hot sun and bluish-green in part shade. The leaves range in color from red to green, but always have distinctive "H-shaped" spots.
The flowers can range from bright red to gold.

The juice from the leaves is traditionally used as soap by local people.

Plants are damaged by temperatures below 32 °F (0 °C) but recover quickly. In a suitable climate, soap aloes require little attention once established. Aloe maculata is very salt tolerant — a good choice for seaside gardens.

Aloe maculata (and some of its many hybrids) are low-growing and propagate by suckers. If permitted, they form a useful ground cover in arid regions. Its spotted leaves are attractive even when the plants are not in flower, but the flowers produce a fine show for several weeks in summer.
Pollinators, both birds and insects, visit the flowers avidly for nectar and pollen.

 

Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz

Blooming Season	Late winter to spring
Common Name	Soap aloe
Dormancy	Winter
Family	Asphodelaceae
Flower	Orange flowers
Frost Tolerance	4.5° c
Growth Rate	Slow
Hardiness Zone	8a to 11b
Height	1' – 2' (30cm – 60cm)
Origin	Southern africa
Pot Size	3.5"
Scientific Name	Soap aloe maculata
Shape	Rosette
Sun Exposure	Sun to partial shade