Leonotus leonurus
Common Names: lion's ear, wild dagga, lion's tail
Family: Lamiaceae/ Labiatae (mint Family)
Shrub Perennial Attracts Hummingbirds Attracts Butterflies Drought
Tolerant Has Medicinal Uses Useful for fresh and/or dried
arrangements
Description
Lion's ear is a shrubby, semi-woody, perennial or a semi-evergreen
subshrub that gets up to 6 ft (1.8 m) tall with a spread of 2-3 ft
(0.6-0.9 m). Lion's ear has numerous erect, straight stems that bear
whorled clusters of orange-red, two-lipped, tubular flowers from
summer until early winter. Each flower is about 2 in (5.1 cm) long
and the rounded clusters about 4 in (10.2 cm) across. The clusters
are arranged on the stems one above another. The flowers are densely
hairy on the outside of the tube, and said to resemble the ear of a
lion. Like most mints, lion's ear has opposite leaves and the
herbaceous (non-woody) new growth has stems that are square in cross
section. The leaves are mildly fragrant and linear to lance-shaped,
2-4 in (5.1-10.2 cm) long, with scalloped margins. The cultivar 'Harrismith
White' has white flowers.
Location
Lion's ear is native to South Africa, where it grows in grassy
areas, scrublands, and along road sides. It was one of the first
South African flowers to be brought back to Europe for cultivation,
and is known to have been grown in Holland in the 1600's.
Culture
Light: Full sun.
Moisture: Once established, lion's ear is drought tolerant. Do not
over-water.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 9 - 11. Lion's ear will usually survive zone
8B winters, but it loses it leaves after a frost.
Propagation: Usually grown from seed, lion's ear also can be started
from softwood cuttings in late spring or summer.
lion's ear
Lion's ear makes a striking addition to the garden that is much
appreciated by hummingbirds and butterflies.
Usage
Lion's ear is usually grown in a mixed shrub border or butterfly
garden. It is a striking plant in bloom, and looks good in a mass or
grouped with other butterfly-attracting shrubs like the shrubby
salvias (Salvia spp.), bottlebrushes (Callistemon spp.) and
butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii). Lion's ear is fairly salt
tolerant and a good shrub for coastal gardens. Prune to encourage
more flowering stems. Lion's ear can be pruned back heavily.
Features
There are about 30 species of Leonotus, most native to South Africa.
One, also called lion's ear (L. nepetifolia), is an annual with
flowers very much like this lion's ear, and occurs as a weed in
subtropical areas world wide, including most of Florida.
For millennia wild dagga, as this plant is also commonly called,
has been used in Africa for medical purposes, shamanistic rituals
and as a euphoriant. Wild dagga extracts, flowers and foliage are
now sold as legal substitutes for marijuana (Cannabis sativa). |
