Plant Crush: Lion's Ear
For March, the Lion’s Ear is my Plant Crush feature. (Better late than never, haha!) Lion’s Ear is unusual to find in Florida gardens or most Florida nurseries or garden centers. I’ve been so thrilled to see this bright colored perennial thrive from a tiny cutting in my backyard. This perennial is, also known as Leonotis leonuris or Wild Dagga, is not a native, but let’s explore why I think this plant would be a good addition for your Florida garden.
Lion’s Ear, Wild Dagga, or Lionetis plant in bloom.
Ideal Conditions
The Lion’s Ear tolerates full sun and a swift salt breeze. I found this plant will grow (slowly) in part shade but it doesn’t like it’s feet very wet, so be cautious of planting too close to water. Its hardiness zone is from 8 to 11, but be careful of freeze advisories in zone 8. If killed by a harsh freeze, I have been told the Lion’s Ear can grow back in the spring.
Since the Lion’s Ear is perennial, with ideal conditions this plant can grow into a woody shrub becoming five feet tall and four or more feet wide. From my experience, you can easily propagate from a two to three inch cutting of the foliage. Keep the soil drained well for best propagation success.
Pollinator Friendly
Pollinator friendly plants can always be found on my “favorites” list and the orange, fuzzy tubular blooms of the Lion’s Ear are a favorite of hummingbirds too! In the past year, I’ve been working to invite more hummingbirds to my garden, so naturally I’m excited when this plant started blooming. As a pollinator plus, honeybees and butterflies are also attracted to these bright, woody plants. I love that the Lion’s Ear is perennial, so it keeps the pollinators coming back year after year without having to replant. Less work with more bees, butterflies and birds!
There are various articles I’ve stumbled upon that explore how the Lion’s Ear is used in certain cultures for it’s medicinal properties. I have been unable to find any strong credible sources to back up the articles, but it might be worth a read and Google search;)
The Lion’s Ear is a truly uniquely beautiful plant. Even though this isn’t a plant native to Florida, it is tolerant of Florida’s tougher conditions - sunshine and salt. And don’t forget it’s a fabulous attractor for the pollinator garden. If you stumble across a gardener willing to share a cutting or surprise hidden in a garden center, perhaps you consider including into your Florida garden.
Brief Plant Bio:
Common name: Lion’s Ear or Leonotis
Scientific name: Leonotis leonuris
Plant type: Shrub
Hardiness zone: 8 - 11
Blooms: Late summer/early fall (South Florida year round)
Growth rate: Fast
Florida Native: No, South African grassland origins
Pollinator Friendly: Yes, hummingbirds, bees, butterflies
Sun tolerant: Yes, can grow in part shade
Salt tolerant: Yes
Drought tolerant: Yes, once established
*Garden Road Trip Idea: You can find an impressive example of a HUGE, and beautiful Lion’s Ear blooming right now in Leu Gardens - which is located in Orlando, Florida. Wish I had taken a picture when I visited there a few weeks ago to share!