Botanical Name: Melianthus major
Common Name: Honey bush
Type of Plant: dicot: perennial
Character
 
Habit of Growth:
Overall Shape upright, herbaceous plant with dramatic blue-green foliage and dark red flower spikes; sprawls and leans over; can spread by runners
Height 6 to 10 ft.
Spread 8 to 10 ft.
Growth Rate rapid
 
Environment:
Exposure outdoors; full sun to partial shade
Soil tolerates most any soil with decent drainage
Hardiness Hardy; Zones 8,9, 12-24
 
Morphology:
Leaves large, blue green pinnately compound leaves with up to 15 coarsely serrated leaflets; foliage smells vaguely like salty peanuts
Flowers dark red flowers in terminal clusters in late winter to early spring; sweet secretions from flowers give the plant its name
Fruit 4-celled capsule
 
Propagation:
stem cuttings, seed
 
Usage:
a strongly architectural plant grown for its dramatic foliage and upright form; can be used as an accent shrub or as a tall background plant; flowers can be very attractive to hummingbirds
 
Landscape Care:
Watering takes average watering; can tolerate drought after established and mixes well with California natives
Fertilizing balanced fertilizer in spring
Pruning hard pruning annual pruning gives a denser, neater look
Pests/Diseases occasional whitefly in shaded areas
Special Conditions/Other all plant parts are poisonous
 
Origin: South Africa
Family: Melianthaceae
 
Notes:
 
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