Lion's tail
I find this a very unusual flower. It reminds me of a colorful creature, with long 'legs'. These clusters grow at intervals on one stem, a few inches above each other. I have shared photos of it on previous visits you can see one of those at this link, with the information I found at the time. It is the 6th photo down in that post.
It goes by the name Lion tail, but is also known as Wild dagga, Lion's ear, Lion's claw or Minaret Flower. Its botanical name is Leonotis leonurus.
It is a very tall perennial garden plant that can grow very fast, up to 6 feet in its first season.
An evergreen shrub, native to the southern regions of Africa and cultivated around the world for its distinctive orange flowers and its tolerance for hot, dry weather. Hummingbirds are drawn to its nectar, also butterflies, though I didn't see any the day I took these photos. It was too cloudy I expect, and though not cold, not too hot either. Lion's tail flowers curve at an angle matched by the beaks of African sunbirds so I read, who feast on the plant's nectar.
It likes full to partial sun and is super easy to take care of, with resistance to almost all pests and diseases. It is a perfect option for gardeners with brown thumbs. And yay, this is perfect for me!
I am happy to say that Gregg and I visited Green Spring Gardens last Saturday. After not visiting over the summer months, we were delighted to get back. There were still lots of flowers still in bloom and we also went inside the old house. They had hummingbird photos on display. Very enjoyable!
And we had a great time walking around the garden. I will be sharing more of what we saw in tomorrow's post.
Thanks for visiting and enjoy the rest of your week.
