Leonotis leonurus Fred Meyer a testament to sheer vigor

a testament to sheer vigor

On mature specimens the bark exfoliates in irregular plates the way a sycamore or stewartia does

The species behind the cultivar belongs to the verbena family

an intriguing narrow-leaf aucuba awaiting a final verdict

and let the females take the spotlight while this quiet partner does the essential work behind the winter berries

Leonotis leonurus Fred Meyer a testament to sheer vigorFew late summer plants command a border like Leonotis leonurus, the lion's ear of the South African veld. Tall square stems, the signature of the mint family, Lamiaceae, rise five feet and more before breaking into tier upon tier of burnt orange flowers, each whorl circling the stem like a ruff. The velvety, curved tubes are the source of both common names, lion's ear and lion's tail, and the botany agrees: Leonotis comes from the Greek for lion's