Leonotis

Growing in Pots, Balconies & Indoors

Leonotis (lion’s ear) is a sun-loving shrub grown for its whorls of orange, tubular flowers. The grower says it is not a houseplant – it needs full sun – but it makes a striking, drought-tolerant container plant for a sunny balcony or patio.

Quick Details

• Container Size: 0.5-2 m (2-6 ft) shrub – a large, sturdy container
• Indoor Suitability: Not an indoor plant – it needs full sun to flower
• Best Spot: Full sun to half shade, outdoors
• Soil & Drainage: Free-draining potting mix; it prefers things on the drier side
• Watering in Pots: Small to average water – drought-tolerant once established; let it dry between waterings

Indoors & On the Windowsill

• Not a houseplant: The grower is clear it will not thrive indoors – it needs full sun to grow bushy and flower well, which windows rarely supply.
• Windowsill: Too dim indoors for good flowering; grow it outside in a sunny spot. A bright sunroom or greenhouse is the nearest indoor option.
• Overwintering: Frost-tender – in cold climates move the pot into a bright, frost-free place over winter, or cut it back and shelter it.

On a Balcony or Patio

• Light & wind: Give it the sunniest, warmest spot; reflected heat from walls suits this heat-lover, but pots dry fast so check moisture. The tall stems may need staking or shelter in wind.
• Flowering: In full sun it rewards you with tiers of vivid orange flowers loved by bees and birds; a light prune keeps it bushy.

Choosing the Pot, Soil & Long-Term Care

• Pot & drainage: A large, stable pot with strong drainage holes with strong drainage holes; skip a standing-water saucer to avoid root rot. Terracotta breathes and dries faster, glazed or plastic holds moisture longer.
• Potting mix: A well-aerated, organic-rich mix – peat or coir with perlite or vermiculite for free drainage.
• Feeding: Potted plants need feeding more often than those in the ground because nutrients wash out – a balanced feed through the growing season.
• Repotting: Pot on or refresh the mix every couple of years, and prune in the dormant season to keep it compact and encourage flowering shoots.

Bloom & Flower Guide

Quick Details

• Bloom Season: Summer, autumn and into winter
• Flower Appearance: Fragrant, cone-shaped tubular flowers in orange, yellow, white or red, arranged in whorls that circle the stem like a crown or a lion’s tail
• Edibility: Grown as an ornamental and traditional medicinal/herbal plant; the flowers are not a culinary edible flower, so treat them as ornamental

Detailed Blooming Overview

Lion’s tail flowers over a long, warm-season stretch, stacking tiers of furry, tubular blooms up tall square stems. It is drought-tolerant and a strong nectar plant, drawing in pollinators through the season. The distinctive whorled “crowns” are what give the plant its common name.

Flower Characteristics

• Fragrant, cone-shaped tubular flowers in orange, yellow, white or red.
• Held in stacked whorls around the stem, forming crown-like tiers.

Bloom Care & Thinning

• Encouraging bloom: Full sun and lean, well-drained soil give the strongest flowering; it copes well with dry spells once established.
• Prolonging the display: Deadhead spent whorls to keep new tiers coming, and cut back hard after the main flush to keep the plant compact.
• Pollination: A rich nectar source that draws bees, butterflies and, in its native range, sunbirds.