Aloes in Wonderland in Santa Barbara is a great place to visit at any time of the year, but it really lives up to its name when the aloes are in bloom in the winter. There are public gardens that have fantastic aloe flower displays, including the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek and the Huntington in San Marino, but Aloes in Wonderland is unique: It’s plantsman Jeff Chemnick’s home and private botanical garden featuring cycads, exotic trees, cacti, and, of course, aloes. It’s also a nursery, but unlike any other I’ve ever seen or heard of: Every plant in Jeff’s garden is for sale. You make an appointment, walk around the 4 acre property with Jeff, pick out the plant you want, get out your shovel, dig it up, and take it home. Or have Jeff’s team or your own landscaper do the hard work. With the exception of cycad seedlings, Jeff doesn’t sell pre-potted plants. Everything is in the ground, and many plants are specimen size. Aloes in Wonderland is the place to go if you want a 15 foot aloe, dragon tree, or Queensland bottle tree.
On my recent Santa Barbara trip, I had the pleasure of visiting Aloes in Wonderland for the third time. I’d been there during the 2019 Bromeliad Summit (blog post here) and in January of last year (blog post here). This time, I joined a small group of fellow aloe enthusiasts: Josh Allen of Fairview Nursery in Vista (post about my visit in March 2022 here), Jeff Moore of Solana Succulents in Solana Beach (post about my latest visit here), and Brian Kemble, the curator of the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek.
As we were walking around with Jeff Chemnick, it became very clear that I was in the company of folks who know a lot more than me – about aloes and all kinds of other things. I shut my mouth (mostly), listened, and took pictures. I felt very privileged to be able to learn from their conversations.
The photos below are edited down from the hundreds I took. I also have three short video clips for you. (One of my goals for 2025 is to make more videos; often a 20-second video conveys a sense of place better than 200 photos.) I’ll keep the captions to a minimum. I was able to identify some plants, but many of them will have to remain unlabeled.
Along the driveway in front of the house
Hechtia ‘Silver Tongue Devil’, Jeff’s own hybrid between H. argentea and H. lanata
Smooth form of Hechtia lanata
Hechtia lanata
Hechtia lanata
Aloe ‘Spiney’ (A. spinosissima × marlothii)
I wouldn’t be mad if my front yard looked like this
One of several random hybrids at Aloes in Wonderland, the result of open pollination
Nobody knows for sure what its parents are, but this hybrid is so spectacular that it should be propagated. I’d be the first to buy one.
Aloe volkensii
A jungle of cycads
A particularly striking Encephalartos
Dioon argenteum, one of the most beautiful Mexican cycads
Blue Encephalartos with cone
Jeff Moore photographing a massive Agave atrovirens, one of the largest agave species there is
Aloe marlothii and Aloe excelsa
Josh Allen and Jeff Chemnick deep in conversation
Walking down the path into the main part of the aloe garden
Video 1:
Jeff Moore in wonderland
Video 2:
Superlatives aren’t enough
Group photo: Josh Allen, Brian Kemble, Jeff Moore, yours truly, and Jeff Chemnick
And finally, another spontaneous hybrid – probably my favorite with its rich yellow flowers. I’d have this one in my garden in a heartbeat.
Videos of Aloes in Wonderland:
The Aloes in Wonderland’s YouTube channel has a number of videos. The garden walks with Jeff are particularly interesting.
This 2-minute drone video taken at sunset gives you a fantastic overview of Aloes in Wonderland. Be sure to watch it, it’s worth it!
Video by Arrow Drone Works. Edited by Al B. Goldin. You can also watch the raw drone footage here (7:35 min).
How to visit Aloes in Wonderland:
You, too, can visit Aloes in Wonderland. Jeff gives private tours by appointment. Tours are $20 per person, which wil be credited towards a plant purchase. You can schedule a tour here.
About Jeff Chemnick:
Jeff Chemnick is a renaissance man: naturalist, explorer, ecotour leader, researcher, plantsman – and a renowned cycad expert, with a special focus on Mexican cycads. He has been instrumental in describing a number of new species, including Dioon argenteum (2003), Dioon planifolium (2016), Dioon oaxacensis (2020), Dioon salas-moralesae (2021), and Ceratozamia schiblii (2022). Here is a more complete resume.
About Aloe vs. Aloidendron:
In 2013 and 2014, a group of botanists divided the genus Aloe into multiple genera: Aloe, Aloiampelos, Aloidendron, Aristaloe, Gonialoe, and Kumara. This was based on phylogenetic studies showing that what used to be the genus Aloe actually consists of several distinct groups. I wrote a detailed post about this in 2014 (here).
Under this reclassification, the tree aloes were moved to the genus Aloidendron. According to Plants of the World Online (retrieved 2/4/25), the genus Aloidendron has seven recognized species: Aloidendron barberae, Aloidendron dichotomum, Aloidendron eminens, Aloidendron pillansii, Aloidendron ramosissimum, Aloidendron sabaeum, and Aloidendron tongaense. (The inclusion of Aloidendron sabaeum was refuted in 2019.)
This reclassification has not been accepted universally. Many aloe experts and enthusiasts have remained loyal to the original names. This is why you still hear Aloe barberae, Aloe dichotoma, etc. I don’t have a horse in this race, but, for the sake of consistency, I’ve been following Plants of the World Online on this blog based on the assumption that it uses the most current names.
If you want to read up on this issue, here are the three most pertinent articles. They make for light bedtime reading (not!):
There are no words! As I mentioned, I was there probably about 15 years ago at the Aloe Summit Jeff ran at Lotusland. We toured around his home, but he has been really busy planting since then! There isn't anywhere like this garden. So special! I enjoyed the videos too!
What a dream! Thank you for the videos - I've watched plenty of Ruth Bancroft & Aloes in Wonderland videos that I could recognize Brian and Jeff's voices in #2. Also Jeff singing "Oh lord, please don't let me be misunderstood". What a magical unique place he's created and still creating. Fantastic, I can imagine how this inspired your new Aloe bed in your found space. I'm quick to admit I didn't know about the reclassification. I'm woefully undereducated on this stuff, I'll try to give your links a read :).
You're right - there aren't enough superlatives to describe Aloes in Wonderland. Maybe supercalifragilisticexpialidocious comes closest! I'm overwhelmed just looking at the site online. I "need" more Aloes and I'm perplexed about why I haven't found a spot for a cycad.
That whole concept of digging the plants up -- what about if you want a rosette out of a clump of hechtia or dyckia? Perhaps the plantings near the. house are more ornamental and therefore not diggable? I rechecked the post on my visit in 2017 and was surprised about all the wildfire references, both locally and from visitors (Napa wine country). I seem to remember Jeff mentioning Wonderland threatened by fire, that he was acquiring property from neighbors who left after properties burned (but can't find the reference). Incredible how the plantings keep expanding into the hillsides -- the franzosiniis look spectacular in the distance.
I do remember your post from a previous visit, one that I bookmarked so I can feast my eyes on those glorious shots whenever I want. This post is just as fabulous; I adore the vignette in photo #6. What I suppose makes this visit particularly unique is the group of exceptional enthusiastic experts: it doesn't get any better than that! Chavli
There are no words! As I mentioned, I was there probably about 15 years ago at the Aloe Summit Jeff ran at Lotusland. We toured around his home, but he has been really busy planting since then! There isn't anywhere like this garden. So special! I enjoyed the videos too!
ReplyDeleteWhat a dream! Thank you for the videos - I've watched plenty of Ruth Bancroft & Aloes in Wonderland videos that I could recognize Brian and Jeff's voices in #2. Also Jeff singing "Oh lord, please don't let me be misunderstood". What a magical unique place he's created and still creating. Fantastic, I can imagine how this inspired your new Aloe bed in your found space. I'm quick to admit I didn't know about the reclassification. I'm woefully undereducated on this stuff, I'll try to give your links a read :).
ReplyDeleteYou're right - there aren't enough superlatives to describe Aloes in Wonderland. Maybe supercalifragilisticexpialidocious comes closest! I'm overwhelmed just looking at the site online. I "need" more Aloes and I'm perplexed about why I haven't found a spot for a cycad.
ReplyDeleteThat whole concept of digging the plants up -- what about if you want a rosette out of a clump of hechtia or dyckia? Perhaps the plantings near the. house are more ornamental and therefore not diggable? I rechecked the post on my visit in 2017 and was surprised about all the wildfire references, both locally and from visitors (Napa wine country). I seem to remember Jeff mentioning Wonderland threatened by fire, that he was acquiring property from neighbors who left after properties burned (but can't find the reference). Incredible how the plantings keep expanding into the hillsides -- the franzosiniis look spectacular in the distance.
ReplyDeleteAh the memories, thanks for reigniting that sense of awe I felt when we visited!
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm booking my flight now (kidding). Gosh, what amazing plants, and all the scenes are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI do remember your post from a previous visit, one that I bookmarked so I can feast my eyes on those glorious shots whenever I want. This post is just as fabulous; I adore the vignette in photo #6. What I suppose makes this visit particularly unique is the group of exceptional enthusiastic experts: it doesn't get any better than that!
ReplyDeleteChavli
Stunning!
ReplyDelete