The MGS Forum

Plants for mediterranean gardens => Perennials => Topic started by: ritamax on November 11, 2012, 06:01:49 PM

Title: Leonotis leonurus
Post by: ritamax on November 11, 2012, 06:01:49 PM
Such a pretty plant, this Leonotis leonurus. I see it quite often as a bedding plant here in Switzerland, but as a perennial I haven't seen it in Spain, although it should be suitable there. Do you have experience with it?
Title: Re: Leonotis leonurus
Post by: pamela on November 11, 2012, 06:04:30 PM
Absolutely...mine are still flowering now (November) after a mammoth effort all summer.  A great and beautiful plant
Title: Re: Leonotis leonurus
Post by: ritamax on November 12, 2012, 06:22:02 PM
Great to hear, thanks a lot!
Title: Re: Leonotis leonurus
Post by: Fermi on January 06, 2013, 05:05:12 AM
This was a common shrub in "old-fashioned gardens" around Melbourne; I had "inherited" one in my previous garden and had to constantly cut it down to rejuvenate it and stop it overtopping the fence!
cheers
fermi
Title: Re: Leonotis leonurus
Post by: Trevor Australis on January 17, 2013, 12:44:09 AM
I've had both orange and white forms but they got too big for our garden. Each reached well over 2m x 1.5m in this Med climate garden. They are very old cottage garden plants here brought from gardens at Cape Town by settlers sailing out to Australia and NZ. Cape Town was the final port of call before the big jump across the Indian and Southern Oceans so it was the place where colonists made the most of their last chance to get things for their new homes. Even so plant losses were extremely high as they had to be kept on the open decks or in the dank, dark cabins below decks.
Title: Re: Leonotis leonurus
Post by: Alice on July 23, 2013, 03:45:51 PM
I am considering growing this plant (the white form) from seed. However, I noticed that Heidi Gildemeister (in "Mediterranean Gardening - a Waterwise Approach") says that it is summer dormant. Does it drop its leaves in summer if not watered? And, if so, how much water would it need to stay looking good?
Title: Re: Leonotis leonurus
Post by: Jamus on July 24, 2013, 12:50:49 AM

Great hardy plant for Adelaide. I want one but I can see myself running out of space... Maybe that white one trevor has is the go?
Title: Re: Leonotis leonurus
Post by: Daisy on August 10, 2013, 12:41:53 PM
I really fancied one of these. I have just the spot for it, or so I thought ???
2 metres x 1.5 metres Trevor?
Help! I will have to rethink that.
Daisy :)
Title: Re: Leonotis leonurus
Post by: John J on May 26, 2015, 01:24:14 PM
Came back from the cool of the Greek mountains to the heat of Cyprus to find the Leonotis leonurus blazing as brightly as the sun.