Lion's Ear (Leonotis leonurus)

How much light does a Lion's Ear need?

Lion's ear grows best in full sun, which means 6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day. It also tolerates part shade, though full sun is the preferred setting. Outdoors, these two light levels are the ones listed for this shrub. Choose a spot that offers one of those two light levels.

• Light: Full sun and part shade (full sun preferred)¹

Best soil for a Lion's Ear

Lion's ear needs well-drained soil. The listed soil pH range is 6.0 to 8.0, which is neutral. Good drainage is the listed requirement for the soil. A pH anywhere between 6 and 8 falls inside the listed range. Drainage and pH are the two soil conditions recorded for this shrub. Well-drained soil is the only drainage class listed. Soil texture, organic matter and amendments are not documented on this page.

• Soil drainage: Well drained¹
• Soil pH: pH 6–8¹

Hardiness and temperature

Lion's ear is listed for USDA hardiness zones 8a to 11b. The listing names zones 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11a and 11b. Zone 7b and colder fall outside the listed range. Zone 8a is the coldest zone in the listing. Zone 11b is the warmest zone in the listing. It is a broadleaf evergreen shrub. No minimum temperature or humidity figure is documented on this page.

• Hardiness: Zones 8a–11b¹

Pruning a Lion's Ear

Prune lion's ear once a year, after flowering. The purpose is to maintain a bushy, dense shape. The pruning type recorded is light shaping. Overall maintenance for this shrub is rated low. A mature plant is 3–6 ft (0.91–1.83 m) tall and 1.5–3 ft (0.46–0.91 m) wide.

• Pruning: Light shaping¹

How to plant a Lion's Ear

Plant lion's ear in USDA zones 8a to 11b. Allow room for a mature height of 3–6 ft (0.91–1.83 m) and a width of 1.5–3 ft (0.46–0.91 m). Choose a site with full sun or part shade, and well-drained soil. The listed soil pH range is 6 to 8. The growth rate is rapid. Seeding in the garden happens before the last frost date.

• Hardiness: Zones 8a–11b¹

Winter care

The recorded hardiness range for lion's ear is zones 8a to 11b. Zone 8a is the coldest zone in that listing. Gardeners in zone 7 and colder are outside the recorded range. It is a broadleaf evergreen shrub. Annual pruning after flowering is the shaping task listed for it. Maintenance is rated low. No minimum temperature or winter protection method is documented on this page.

• Hardiness: Zones 8a–11b¹

How to propagate a Lion's Ear

You can propagate lion's ear from seed or from stem cuttings. The recorded advice is to propagate by green stem cutting or by seeding in the garden before the last frost date. Seeding is done outdoors, in the garden. Seed and stem cuttings are the two methods listed for this shrub.

• Propagation: Seed and stem cuttings¹

Common problems

Four pests are recorded for lion's ear: whiteflies, spider mites, shot hole borer and mealybugs. Whiteflies and spider mites can be a problem for indoor plants. No known diseases are recorded for it. Deer leave this plant alone, and it is listed as rarely damaged by deer.

• Common pests: whiteflies, spider mites, shot hole borer and mealybugs¹
• Common diseases: ¹

Questions and answers

How much sun does lion's ear need?

It grows best in full sun, which means 6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day. It also tolerates part shade. Full sun is the preferred setting.

How big does lion's ear get?

A mature plant reaches 3–6 ft (0.91–1.83 m) in height. Its width is 1.5–3 ft (0.46–0.91 m). The growth rate is rapid.

What do lion's ear flowers look like?

The flowers are orange, hairy and tubular, in whorls with two lips. They appear from late spring through fall. Pruning after flowering maintains a bushy, dense shape.