Leonotis leonurus, the white form

Hi folks -

Just a quick note about a plant I've had for some time in a pot which is finally blooming after being planted in the ground a number of months ago. It is the white form of Leonotis leonurus, the Lion's Tail or Wild Dagga from South Africa. I received this as a cast-off from a friend who said the flower color was a disappointment (not a 'clean' white). I was interested to see this for myself and it is now flowering for me. The typically orange flower heads start out a creamy white on this plant and them rapidly 'fade' to a beige-straw color. I find this actually very interesting and picked a few to combine in an arrangement with year's-end dried grasses in straw to honey beige tones. The anthers are distinctly brownish, adding to the unusual coloration. I wish I had a Salvia africana lutea (another South African) to see how those rusty brown flower might look with these beige spikes. Here is a picture I found on the web that shows a VERY white form - I guess there are various shades of orange, apricot, and white in this species. We seem to universally have the deep orange form here in California (propagated by cuttings no doubt). I'd be interested if other people have experience with this white (or in my case beige) or other color forms, especially if other forms are known here in California.

Regards,
Seán O.

h o r t u l u s a p t u s - 'a garden suited to its purpose'
Seán A. O'Hara sean@support.net
1034A Virginia Street, Berkeley, California 94710-1853, U.S.A.

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