Gardener's Guide to Tropical Plants by Nellie Neal

Author:Nellie Neal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cool Springs Press
Published: 2012-05-23T16:00:00+00:00

Lion’s Ear

Leonotis leonurus

Native to South Africa, lion’s ear carries the banner of its mint family heritage so vividly it could be a caricature of the group. The mint group, or Laminaceae, is noted for holding their leaves opposite each other on square stems. Some, like coleus, have so many leaves that their arrangement is blurred, but lion’s ear displays stark stems with strappy leaves in opposite pairs at 2-inch intervals. Both stems and leaves are shiny porch green and rise dynamic and erect to face sunny, dry microclimates. In the leaf axils, the flower clusters start as exotic, ping-pong-ball-sized structures that look like sweet gumballs painted green with orange dots between their spikes. Those dots soon fling themselves into the air with gusto, hairy closed tubes about 2 inches long that someone thought resembled a lion’s ear. The blossoms surround the stem in a whirling dervish of bizarre, fiery orange.

Plant Family

Lamiaceae

Other Common Name

Wild dagga

Bloom Period and Seasonal Color

Orange flowers in the summer and fall

Mature Height × Spread

Up to 6 ft. × 3 ft.

When, Where, and How to Plant

Choose a sunny site that is warm and away from excessive winds. In sites with fewer than six hours of sun, the stems will be weak and the flowers less abundant. Prepare a well-drained, fertile soil by amending existing garden soils and potting mixes with ground bark and sand, if needed. Space plants 1 foot apart in beds or mixed plantings, or provide a standard 10-inch clay pot for each lion’s ear plant. Like other mints, lion’s ear can be pinched back at planting to stimulate its branching and more flower stems. Mulch new plantings lightly, with no more than 1 inch of organic material such as shredded bark. Water young plants well until they are established, but take care not to over-water mature lion’s ear plants.

Growing Tips

Lion’s ear plants need water regularly until they are established in beds or pots, and then must dry out between irrigations. Use a soluble general-purpose fertilizer mixed in the water monthly, or a granular product as often as directed on its label. Prune mature plants if they become leggy or to stimulate new growth. Potted plants can be cut back as needed to overwinter them, or plants can be propagated and grown indoors. Deadhead flowers as they fade to make room for more.

Care and Propagation

There are few pests that bother these plants. Propagate by softwood cuttings and seed.

Companion Planting and Design

Make lion’s ears an integral part of your butterfly garden by pairing them with bottlebrush and butterfly bush. Grow it with ti plant and devil’s backbone for a textural riot, or surround it with Cape daisies and kanga paws.

Try These

‘Harrismith White’ is a cultivar with white flowers.

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