Melianthus major

Melianthus major, also known as the giant honey flower, is an extraordinary plant with a remarkable architectural habit. It brings an exotic touch to the garden. This undershrub can form an imposing mass resembling a giant fern, composed of large evergreen, blue-green, serrated leaves divided into wide toothed leaflets. It displays brown-red spike-like inflorescences in late spring, which are nectar-rich with a honey fragrance. The flowers are incredibly popular with bees. This plant loves the sun, tolerates summer drought well, and becomes quite hardy once established.

Melianthus major belongs to the Francoaceae family native to South Africa. It is a large but not very hardy perennial that forms highly ornamental specimens in the garden. It quickly becomes a 2m (7ft) tall bush with a spreading habit. Its silver-grey juvenile foliage unfolds into lush, blue-green "fronds" divided into serrated leaflets. They emit a fragrance of peanut butter or cocoa when crushed, spreading into the surrounding area on hot days. From May to July, large inflorescences covered with tubular flowers appear, blooming in terminal spikes. They are brown-red and are highly attractive to bees and nectar-loving insects. If the plant appears wet or sticky at times, it is due to the nectar flowing from its flowers, which has a honey-like scent. The flowering is followed by the formation of parchment-like pods containing seeds.

Melianthus major is perfect for creating magnificent exotic backgrounds in flower beds, or even in large pots on a terrace. It deserves to be highlighted, and provides a dazzling spectacle on its own. It can be paired with grey or silver foliage plants by planting a carpet of Senecio vira-vira at its base, or with blue or mauve Ceratostigma plumbaginoides or C. griffithi for their blooms. Its fast growth compensates for its low hardiness (mature specimens are destroyed at -8°C (17.6°F)). This plant will easily find its place in warm, dry, or coastal gardens.