Blog article by Michelle Schlegel
Melianthus major, or Honey Bush, is a South African native. It can take full sun or partial shade and will grow 8-12 feet tall. I grew it in full, hot sun for a few years, and it did very well. I eventually moved it to put in a cactus garden instead. It currently gets sun until about 3 p.m. It is drought-tolerant and regrows lush foliage after trimming it back by half.
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The large, maroon flowers are full of nectar, attracting hummingbirds, bees, and the gorgeous Western Oriole.
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This bird has returned every year with its mate for the last 5 years. What a treat to see!
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