Lion's ear pride of the border

Southern Living, Aug 2003 by Druitt, Liz

Forget about tigers in your tank; put some lions in your landscape if you really want attention.

You can bring the exotic look of Africa to even the most civilized border with the fiery flowers of lion's ear. While you may not be able to visualize its whorls of orange flowers as the round ears of a lion hidden in tall savanna grasses, you will definitely enjoy them from early summer well into fall. The vivid blooms attract human visitors as easily as they draw butterflies and hummingbirds.

The color of Leonotis leonurus-known by some as lion's ear and by others as lion's tail-is provided by circles of deep orange, tubular flowers that are 2 inches long and burst out at intervals on the stems. Henry Flowers, a garden designer from Brenham,Texas, gets a kick out of using lion's ear in plantings. "It's an exclamation point, demanding attention," he says. "When it's blooming, everyone asks about it." Henry has found this plant to be trouble free, with no apparent insect or disease problems. To find lion's ear sources, seepage 195.

At home in dry environments, lion's ear requires little or no supplemental watering once established. Fortunately, it also adapts just fine to ordinary garden conditions. "We water regularly with overhead sprinklers." Henry explains. "Lion's ear stands up to that-and to our Texas heat." He adds a cheerful caution: "People should know it gets big. We planted a grouping of five, then had to remove three of them." Henry cuts his plants back to the ground in early spring, so they look full and beautifully groomed when they come into bloom in late May. Lion's ear may get a little rangy by the end of summer. If so, Henry recommends cutting it back again at that time. The result is a striking performance as it fills out lushly for the fall blooming season.

A perennial throughout the Lower and Coastal South, lion's ear makes a rewarding annual in cooler areas. It's a terrific accent plant for a large tub, too, and can be brought into a cool, well-lit garage for overwintering. No matter how you grow it, lion's ear will do its best to fill your garden with color, stretching up in contentment under the full sun this African flower needs.