Leonotis leonurus

RHS Plant Profile
lion's tail

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Leonotis leonurus?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
lion's tail www.gardenworldimages.com
lion's tail RHS
lion's tail visionspictures.com

Other common names

lion's tooth, lion's ear

Conservatory Greenhouse Shrubs
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
17 Suppliers

A semi-evergreen shrub to 2m, with lance-shaped leaves to 12cm long, and whorls of reddish orange to red flowers 6cm long in autumn and early winter

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H2

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Lamiaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Semi evergreen
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Leonotis can be annuals, perennials, deciduous or evergreen shrubs, with aromatic leaves and 2-lipped, tubular flowers borne in whorls towards the ends of the branches
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
South Africa

How to Grow

Cultivation

Treat as a tender perennial and grow in a cool greenhouse, or plant outdoors after frosts in a sunny border or against a warm wall

Propagation

Propagate by seed or greenwood cuttings in late spring or summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 10, in spring, if grown perennially outdoors. If grown under glass, or as a tender perennial, cut to ground level in early spring

Pests

Under glass glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly may be a problem

Diseases

Susceptible to grey moulds under glass