Martha's exotic Backyard in Israel

Aloe maculata, Aloe saponaria, Aloe latifolia, Aloe leptophylla,
Broadleaf aloe, Soap Aloe, Zebra Aloe, African Aloe,
אלוי סבוני
Scientific name:  Aloe maculata All.
Synonym name:  Aloe saponaria (Aiton) Haw., Aloe latifolia Haw., Aloe leptophylla N.E.Brown
Common name:  Broadleaf aloe, Soap Aloe, Zebra Aloe or African Aloe
Hebrew name:  אלוי סבוני
Family:  Xanthorrhoeaceae → Asphodeloideae → Aloaceae

Aloe maculata, Aloe saponaria, Aloe latifolia, Aloe leptophylla, Broadleaf aloe, Soap Aloe, Zebra Aloe or African Aloe, אלוי סבוני
Location: Western Galilee, Ness Amim guesthouse

Life form:   Chameophyte, Subshrubs
Stems:  Stemless or with short stem
Leaves:  Rosette with lance-shaped leaves that are thick and succulent, armed on the margin by sharp, dark-brown teeth, and pale green with white blotches or spots
Inflorescence:  40-100 cm, 3-8 branches, racemes capitate
Flowers:  Red, orange, or yellow flowers; tubular perianth with a pronounced constriction above a bulbous basal swelling
Fruits / pods:  Triangular capsule containing numerous seeds
Flowering Period:  Spring through early summer
Habitat:  Best with some shade
Distribution:  Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands
Chorotype:  Africa
Summer shedding:  Perennating

Aloe maculata, Aloe saponaria, Aloe latifolia, Aloe leptophylla, Broadleaf aloe, Soap Aloe, Zebra Aloe or African Aloe, אלוי סבוני
Location: Western Galilee, Ness Amim guesthouse


Derivation of the botanical name:
Aloe, from the Greek alsos and refers to the bitter juice from the leaves. This name probably derives either from the Arabic alloeh or the Hebrew allal, both meaning 'bitter.'
maculata, maculo, to spot, stain, pollute, defile; spotted (spots are also influenced by the environment).
saponaria, Latin sapo, soap; soapy.
latifolia, latus,"broad", and folius, "leaf"; hence, "broad leaf"
leptophylla, leptos, thin, slender, delicate, narrow, and folius, "leaf"; "slender leaf"
  • The standard author abbreviation All. is used to indicate Carlo Allioni (1728 – 1804), an Italian physician and professor of botany at the University of Turin.
  • The standard author abbreviation Aiton is used to indicate William Aiton (1731 – 1793), a Scottish botanist.
  • The standard author abbreviation Haw. is used to indicate Adrian Hardy Haworth (1768 – 1833), an English entomologist, botanist and carcinologist.
  • The standard author abbreviation N.E.Brown is used to indicate Nicholas Edward Brown (1849 – 1934),an English plant taxonomist and authority on succulents.
One of the most common and toughest of all aloes. It forms a multibranched and low spreading plant that may be used as a ground cover.


Aloe maculata, Aloe saponaria, Aloe latifolia, Aloe leptophylla, Broadleaf aloe, Soap Aloe, Zebra Aloe or African Aloe, אלוי סבוני
Location: Western Galilee, Ness Amim guesthouse