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Annual lion's ear is an erect, loosely branched annual that can get 8 ft (2.4 m) tall in its single growing season. The stems are strongly angled (square in cross section) and the leaves are in pairs opposite each other. The leaves are smooth with coarsely toothed margins, triangular in shape and 2-5 in (5.1-12.7 cm) long. The flowers are borne in rounded, spiny clusters, 2-4 in (5.1-10.2 cm) across, that encircle the stems so that it looks like the stems are growing right through the middle of the clusters. As the stems elongate, new flower clusters continue to develop above the older ones. The tubular flowers that peek out of the spiny heads are orange and furry, like a lion's ear, so they say. The flowers are about 1 in (2.5 cm) long and curve downward.
Location
Culture
Annual lion's ear is a coarse textured, rather gangly plant and not well suited for formal or very tidy gardens. It is great, however in a butterfly garden or a naturalized shrub and perennial garden, especially behind shorter, bushier plants. Annual lion's ear is tall and slender, and looks good behind salvias and butterfly bushes. The flowers are produced up high, above most of the other annuals and perennials. The hummingbirds really love this plant. They hover next to a flower or even perch right on a cluster and drink for 10 seconds or more at a time, longer than at most any other kind of flower. The hummers keep coming back to the pretty orange flowers all day long.
Features The flowers of annual lion's ear are very similar to those of its relative, lion's ear (L. leonurus), which is a very attractive ornamental shrub for zones 9-11. Steve Christman 7/7/00; updated 3/5/04
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