Garden Guru: Soap aloe's striking foliage, gorgeous flowers draw hummingbirds - Savannah Morning News

The soap aloe is just one of those plants that stir up a passion in gardeners and plant aficionados across the country. It’s known botanically as Aloe maculata and at first glance, you would swear it is from Mexico, but alas, its home is over 9,000 miles away in South Africa.

I first fell in love with it when I would travel to the California Pack Trials and drive from San Diego to San Francisco. Then it seemed 70 to 80 percent of the homes in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas had it in the landscape. It is one of those plants that just seem to be at home in hot, arid, frost-free climates.

When I arrived in Savannah, I was wonderfully surprised to see it flourishing in the sweltering heat and humidity. I was even more delighted to see that a bone-chilling 18 degrees had no lingering effect. It seems good drainage and sunlight are the two most absolutes for it to thrive in the home landscape.

An internet search will suggest everything from zone 9 to 11, with an occasional suggestion to zone 8. In Savannah, we are indeed in zone 8b. Don’t let those zones deter you from growing this incredible plant, as it looks most exotic in containers that can be moved to protection during the winter.

You might be thinking an aloe is an aloe. What is so special about this one? I would be the first to spout back, “What’s not to like?” The leaves are speckled and offer a wonderful contrasting texture in the landscape. But to be honest, it is the flowers that simply mesmerize me.

The foliage reaches around 18 inches tall and about 18 to 24 inches wide when mature. The plant produces spikes of flowers that can be from 24 to 36 inches tall and are red/orange.

Here is what has mystified me this year so far. First, know we have several here at the garden. I was shooting my first blooming photos in mid-April. We had blooms in May and June. Now our soap aloe plants grown at the garden entrance are blooming in conjunction with the yellow flowered esperanza.

The tall flower stalks are so eye-catching and appealing, you’ll want to pause for a closer look. But pause you will do, as you will find you are not the only visitor. The ruby-throated hummingbird (or whichever species you have) will beat you there and take their time feasting on each and every flower. I promise it will be a memorable moment in the garden.

We have the soap aloe in our Mediterranean garden, where it looks at home, and at our entrance. But know that it excels in the modern or contemporary style garden to the rustic garden, and it can look at home with tropicals or partnered with cactus, agave and rocks in the xeriscape.

As the name suggests, the sap from the leaves will suds up as a soap substitute, but it is suggested to try sparingly as too much can cause it to be an irritant. To me, a plant producing a flower this gorgeous and bringing in hummingbirds is a winner.

Once you get yours, you’ll notice pups being formed that can be used elsewhere or shared with friends and family. Give me a call — I may need some.

Norman Winter is the director of the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens at the Historic Bamboo Farm, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Follow him on twitter @CGBGgardenguru.

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