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Posts Tagged: Leonotis leonurus
I Am Honey Bee; Hear Me Roar
Honey bees have nothing on the late Helen Reddy (Oct. 25, 1941-Sept. 29, 2020), an Australian-born singer who roared like a lion: "I am woman,...
A honey bee heads for the lion's tail, Leonotis leonurus, in Vacaville, Calif. on a sunny day in December.
Ahh, just what this worker was looking for. The plant meets her needs and the needs of her colony. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Word spreads that the lion's tail is the "place to bee." (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This pollen-packing honey bee is oblivious to everything but her plant, the lion's tail. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Lion's Tail: The 'Mane' Event
The lady beetle, aka ladybug, scurried up the lion's tail plant, Leonotis leonurus. Up one stem and down another, she went....
The lion's tail, Leonotis leonurus, is a native of South Africa and attracts birds, butterflies and hummingbirds. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A lady beetle, aka ladybug, looks for aphids and other small bodied insects on the lion's tail. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The lady beetle, aka ladybug, blends in with her environment, the spiked orange blossoms of a lion's tail. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Mighty Tough Lion's Tail
After surveying my yard after the string of days of hard frosts, I am so impressed with my Lion's Tail, Leonotis leonurus. Many of my other plants have crumpled, but this plant stands stately and tall and is still in bloom. I had it in a pot for years, but put it in the ground about a year and a half ago.
It grows in Sunset zones 8-24, takes full sun and little water. It is a member of the mint family and originally from South Africa. It starts blooming in the summer and is still going. The blooms are extremely long lasting and feel almost fuzzy. The flowers make an exciting addition to floral arrangements. The flowers dry beautifully as well.
Sunset says it can freeze if it gets cold enough, but if that happens to just cut it back in the spring. Leonotis can grow four to six feet tall and has toothed leaves that range from two to five inches long. My plant is only about three feet tall now, but then I pick the flowers often.
