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Saturday 3 May 2008

Indigenous Beauties : Leonotus leonurus




Leonotus leonurus
Wild Dagga

This is really an outstanding plant. It is one of the most noticeable plants during a dry winter, bringing much needed pockets of colour to the rocky grasslands in which it is naturally found.

The flowers are usually bright, fountains of orange, but can be found in apricot and even white. Sunbirds love the nectar found in these flowers.

I've found it flowering throughout autumn and winter.

After it is finished flowering it should be cut right back, and will reach around 2m by the next flowering season. It seeds itself very easily if left.

It grows in well-draining loamy soil. It should be composted, and watered well in the summer, but needs little attention in winter.

It should be planted amongst wild grass, or at the back of a flower bed to give height and colour. It is best to plant with an evergreen plant so that when it is cut back drastically every year, the gap is not as sorely noticed.

1 comment:

coeliac said...

It's a stunning plant and looks fabulous at Kirstenbosch at the moment, where it is planted in big groups. Thanks for the tip about planting it with an evergreen.

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