Lion’s Ear

Lion's Ear (Leonotis leonurus) carries whorls of furry orange tubular flowers stacked in tiers up tall square stems, and little else in an Australian garden looks quite like it. It grows quickly to about 1.8m tall and 1.5m wide, flowering from late summer into autumn when most shrubs have finished. This South African plant asks for full sun, sharp drainage and very little water once it is away.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers nothing else matches. Tiered whorls of velvety orange trumpets up a 1.8m stem, from late summer into autumn.
• Honeyeaters find it fast. The tubular nectar rich flowers are built for birds, and bees and butterflies work them too.
• Genuinely drought tolerant. Once established it gets by on rain alone in most warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens.
• Quick to fill a space. It nears full size in its first or second season, and salt wind, reflected heat and poor sandy soil are all within its range.

Where it works best

Feature planting. One plant at the back of a sunny bed gives height, structure and a colour that pulls the eye across a garden, especially against a pale wall or a dark hedge.

Mass planting and borders. Plant 1m apart for a bold block. At that spacing the stems weave together and hold each other upright, which matters on a windy site.

Coastal and dry gardens. Salt and drought tolerance suit exposed coastal blocks, waterwise beds and arid inland gardens where flowering shrubs are hard to come by.

Growing Lion's Ear in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun all day, in an open position. Subtropical, warm temperate, Mediterranean and arid or semi-arid gardens all suit it. It takes light frost only, so in frost prone districts expect the top growth to be cut back in winter.

Soil. Drainage matters far more than fertility, and sandy or gravelly soils are ideal. On clay, plant on a raised mound and open the soil with coarse sand and compost, because wet feet through winter is the most common way this plant is lost.

Water and feed. Water weekly through the first summer, then only in extended dry periods. It needs no routine feeding, and rich soil or heavy fertiliser produces soft growth that flops.

Pruning. Cut spent flower stems back after the autumn display, then prune the whole plant hard, by about half, in late winter. That annual cut keeps it dense and upright instead of woody and sprawling.

What to expect when it arrives

Lion's Ear is sold as tube stock, which suits the way it grows: fast enough that a small plant catches up quickly, and affordable enough to plant the group of three or five that shows it at its best. A spring planted tube can be a metre tall and flowering by its first autumn.

Tube stock travels well, because there is little top growth to damage. Plant it out promptly and keep the soil just moist rather than wet while the roots move out. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse drought tolerant plants
• Planning a waterwise garden
• Compare bird attracting plants
• Salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens

Common questions

How tall does it get?

About 1.8m tall and 1.5m across, reached within a season or two. A hard prune in late winter holds it lower and denser if 1.8m is more than your bed can take.

Will it survive frost?

It handles light frost only. A hard frost cuts the top growth back, and while an established plant usually reshoots in spring, it is not for cold inland or high tableland gardens.

Does it need staking?

Not if it is grown lean. Stems flop when the soil is too rich or the plant sits in shade. Full sun, poor soil, minimal fertiliser and a hard winter prune keep it upright.

When does it flower?

From late summer into autumn, and often longer in frost free gardens. Cutting the spent whorls off encourages a second run of blooms on the side shoots.