Aloe Arborescens
Aloe arborescens in full bloom.
These do really well in the Bay Area. They love our winter rains and can be seen in bloom around the bay for months on end. They tend to form large mounds up to 4 ft. tall, but sometimes single stalks will reach up to 6 ft.
Some people prune them into hedges, but I don’t like that at all. Big puffy mounds with dozens of bloom stalks all at once is the ideal.