Leonotis
( lee - on - NOH - tiss )
At-A-Glance Information
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This genus includes herbaceous, flowering shrubby plants with green foliage and spikes of whorled blooms that are typically orange to reddish-orange in color. These plants will draw pollinators into the garden with their bright colors, and do well in wildflower, drought-tolerant, Mediterranean, and even cottage-style gardens. They typically reach up to between 4 and 6 feet tall when mature. Plant alongside Lavandula, Salvia, Agaves or Aloes, or Romneya for a water-wise mixed bed.
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Leonotis Species and Varietals
The genus Leonotis is a member of the plant family Lamiaceae, and includes 9 species. Lion's Tail plants grow best in zones 8-24, H1 and H2. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
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Leonotis leonurus (Lion's Tail, Wild Dagga) This species of South African shrub needs full sun and little to no water, making it a great choice for adding color and interest to water-wise gardens. It reaches 4-6 feet tall and wide, and its downy orange tubular flowers arranged in whorls attract birds.A white flowering version, Leonotis leonurus albiflora, is also available. |
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Leonotis nepetifolia (Klip Dagga, Christmas Candlestick, Lion's Ear) These plants are native to Africa and southern India, and produce green foliage and spikes of whorled orange flowers. It is considered an invasive plant in some areas of the globe, including Australia, Florida, and Hawai'i. |
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Leonotis ocymifolia (Minaret Flower) These plants are native to an area that spans from eastern Africa to South Africa. They are reasonably drought and wind-resistant shrubs, ideal for cultivation in difficult places in the garden. Tubular flowers are bolder in color and larger than other species in the genus. |
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Caring for and pruning Leonotis Shrubs
Plant Lion's Tail in full sun exposure in well-draining soil that has a pH of between 6.6 and 7.5. Although these shrubs are drought-tolerant at maturity, they do require some water as they are getting established. Mature plants will only need infrequent deep waterings during the warmest months of the year. Allow the top two inches of soil to completely dry out between waterings, and apply a layer of mulch around the base of the plant to increase soil moisture retention. These plants generally do well without any added fertilizer; having fertile soil is usually sufficient. However, if you'd like to encourage more vigorous springtime growth or if the plant seems to be suffering, it may benefit from an application in springtime of a balanced, slow-release fertilizer.
The best time to prune these plants is in late winter or early springtime, when the plant is getting ready to send out new growth. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased parts of the plant and trim back the plant by about a third to encourage more bushy growth. These plants do not always survive the cooler temperatures of winter (they are hardy down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit), and any parts that have died during the winter months can be cut back to the ground. They will grow back come springtime. If your area frequently drops below this temperature, cover your shrubs with a frost cloth.
The best time to prune these plants is in late winter or early springtime, when the plant is getting ready to send out new growth. Remove dead, damaged, or diseased parts of the plant and trim back the plant by about a third to encourage more bushy growth. These plants do not always survive the cooler temperatures of winter (they are hardy down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit), and any parts that have died during the winter months can be cut back to the ground. They will grow back come springtime. If your area frequently drops below this temperature, cover your shrubs with a frost cloth.
Propagation
Leonotis shrubs can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Leonotis by Cutting
Propagating Leonotis by Seed
Propagating Leonotis by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In late spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch greenwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Leonotis by Seed
- Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seeds are contained inside dried seed heads after the flowers have lost their orange color, begun to dry out, and release their seeds. Cut the flower heads off of the plant and place them in a paper bag while they release the remaining seeds.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 7-14 days from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Lion's Tail shrub seeds are contained inside of the flower heads after they have faded.
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Leonotis leonurus seeds.
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Problems and Pests
Lion's Tail shrubs are resistant to pests and diseases.
Gallery
Lion's Tail shrubs are wonderful for front yards, where their unique flowers can be admired by passers-by.
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Plant these shrubs alongside other water-wise plants.
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Butterflies and birds will be drawn to the bright orange, fuzzy blooms.
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Videos
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All about Lion's Tail.
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How to grow Leonotis leonurus in your garden.
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A great introductory video about these beautiful flowering shrubs.
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An informational video on this flowering shrub.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 405, Leonotis leonurus
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