Melianthus major

04/03/19 - Star Plant Update - well this is a nice surprise, I was not expecting flowers on my honey bush... ever! It’s hardy-ish (for south) and considered normally as a semi-evergreen perennial in the U.K. unless protected, and normally the foliage dies off each year from the frosts but it’s been quite resilient this winter (with no protection) - the red flower spikes can get quite tall, up to 3-4 feet above the glaucous green cut foliage 💚💚

#melianthus #melianthus-major #melianthusmajor #honeybush #foliage - just scrolled through pics and I’ve had this since 2015, was one of the first plants I posted, has it been already four years since I joined GT? 😳

Love the foliage

Just found this other hashtag for it - #smellianthus 😂 - cause it smells of peanut butter 🥜

It must love you Rich 😄😄

Thanks Kathy 😊 it was the foliage that was the key decorative feature for buying it 👌🏼 @kathy

Got to love the #apnc 🤣

Morning Richard @richard.spicer.7906 Great foliage & added bonus a Flower exciting times 👍 hope your day is a good one 😀

Interesting 😀

Yeay glad it’s flowering...as you know I love eeeet! Chopped mine down last week but it lasted far longer than usual this winter....now just have to wait for the regrowth 🤞🏻🤞🏻 xx

Thanks everyone 👍🏼 I’m sad to report that the stem with the flower bud tried to fly away like Mary poppins in the wind because of Storm Gareth and not sure the flower will now develop, but never mind. It’s holding on for dear life but not sure a sticky plaster will fix it. Might have to do what @clipperty has done and cut it back now for fresh growth @pelly @kathy @jadojado29 @telswirld

Oh, such a shame, I’m sorry to hear that 😟😟

I think I need to tell my #honeybush that winter is on it's way - it seems to be putting on a bit of growth the last couple of weeks 😳 #melianthus #melianthusmajor #foliage #melianthus-major #honeybush

Looking very healthy

💚💚👍🏻🌿😊

It's lovely do they grow very big 😄

Looking good, its this time of year they start to develop they foliage, if there's risk of frost just cover will a fleece sheet should be fine 👌😎 looking lush!

Morning Rich , my willow has buds breaking out as well !!

Love the leaves 👍👍

They can potentially get big @angiecrazycatlady if you have a mild winter. But long frosts tend to kill off the top foliage and it will start to grow again from the base in spring. It's unlikely to flower like this as it needs to get a certain height before flowers develop, but even if not it's a great foliage plant on its own 👍🏼 I might try fleece and see if I can get it to flower next year.

Cheers Steve 👍🏼 looking even bigger now so will keep my eye on it. Need to get some fleece just to be on the safe side I think @lamaisonbleueoleron

Thanks @MW1811 , maybe we can get them through winter and see them flower next year 😀

That's a good idea 😊

I'm thinking the Honey Bush is desperate for some summer sun, but it's doing OK. Still, it's had new growth and it's twice the size it was last year. #melianthusmajor #melianthus #melianthus-major #honeybush

Beautiful foliage colour which I would grow only for that but just looked it up for curiosity. What a stunning flower it sends out too! 😍

Wish list for me gorgeous colour 👍💗

If our summers carry on like this, we'll have to hire sunbeds for our blooms!

The foliage is a stunning colour

I really like that🤗

I dug mine up it got huge once established.

🕵🏻 how come I missed this post 🤔😉 Richard it's looking good nice and lush! 👌😊 just keep and eye on it during winter its boarder line frost, will need some fleece to protect it. 👍 @susytwoshoes I have a couple around the garden and I have put them in a very large dust bin with the base cut out so to stop its developing more than I want it to, it's done the job!

Thanks Steve - will get some fleece ready for the winter. Did well to keep it over last winter although it was very mild so was lucky. @lamaisonbleueoleron

But it still has last years #foliage on it to enjoy in the spring sun ☀️ #melianthusmajor #melianthus #melianthus-major #honeybush

Lovely photography @richard.spicer.7906

@richard.spicer.7906 this is really lovely!

Love the foliage

Beautiful foliage

Absolutely fabulous foliage 👍

😎👏🏼👍 looking good Richard

Thanks @Muzz67 😊

Morning 👋🏼 - lots of #newgrowth is appearing on my Honeybush. Quietly hoping it will take off this year 😁 #melianthus #melianthusmajor #melianthus-major #honeybush

Fingers x

Looks like it will😊

Looking good 🤗

Ooh looks like it's going to Richard 👍👍👍

Oh how I love the sight of new buds !!! 😍

#newgrowth on my Honey Bush - it's done really well so far in this mild winter 🙏🏼 #melianthus #melianthusmajor #melianthus-major #honeybush

@richard.spicer.7906 Richard, looking good 👏🏼👏🏼 just wait until it reaches above 2m 👍

Ooh, I've just ordered some seeds of Melianthus. Yours looks brilliant!

Thanks Jack! Good luck with the seeds - do you know if they easily germinate? @wallington

@richard.spicer.7906 good question lol - no, but I will let you know either way in about a month 😂

Can i ask a question.

My melianthus major is a youngster. Its bottom leaves are a tinge of yellow/red colour is this normal? Thankyou x

Hi @longlegs70 , mine is quite young too. I have noticed that some of the bottom older leaves have gradually died and gone brown - they may have been yellow/red just before that. I checked it coincidently this weekend and cut off the older brown foliage. There seems to be plenty of new growth and new shoots of healthy colour so appears to be ago. I did read that often these dieback over winter as the foliage is not too frost hardy but what with the mild winter mine went through ok with minimal

damage. They send new shoots up anyway. Is yours showing any signs of new growth which looks normal colour? If so it may be alright. Post a pic if you want and we can have a look and see. A few of us grow this plant in Gardentags 😀👍🏼 @longlegs70

Thanks Richard. Yes mine is lovely above lovely new shoots. I have pulled dead off so hopefully its fine

Excellent 👍🏼😀 I got it for the foliage primarily, but maybe if we are lucky we may see it flower. @longlegs70

Yes i think they are stunning....

....but that #foliage though 😍 #melianthus #melianthusmajor #melianthus-major #honeybush

👍 lovely

Unusual name 🙂

Really nice

Lovely shape leaves

Thanks @caroline 😊

Say hello to my new honey bush - Melianthus major. Not sure it smells exactly of honey but it does have a whiff about it 🙊 #melianthus #melianthusmajor #melianthus-major #honeybush

😷

Looks great 👍

🌿wow, just love those leaves, smelly or not! 😊

Your soil looks great

It was a bit @debs69 - i can live with it though. It's at the back of the border so hopefully it will just look pretty rather than distract by its odour!

Thanks @kathy - taken a while to dig it over, but I've added lots of my own home made compost. Black gold!

It sure does @mojo @fuschia 👍🏼

When is tight time to put home made compost on my borders @kathy @richard.spicer.7906 @mojo @fuschia

Love the look of it @richard.spicer.7906 almost grey green leaves. Look forward to seeing how it develops 😍👍

I don't really know @elfin. Lol. I have just dug some border over so will put some on now. Not sure if there is a right time. A spring mulching helps keep moisture in I believe 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 the blind leading the blind 😂😂😂😂😂😂

I don't really know either @elfin @fuschia. I don't have any home made compost but I have just feed some of my borders with organic poultry pellets as they were on a Bogof offer! 😂