Honey Flower (Melianthus minor)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −12.2 °C
Cultivation
Requires a well-drained moisture retentive soil in full sun or light shade. Closely related to M. major, but smaller in all parts. A very ornamental plant it is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain. Plants are often used in sub-tropical bedding schemes. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a warm greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow on the seedlings for at least their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts[K]. Cuttings of greenwood stem tips in a frame in summer. Suckers in spring. They can be planted out immediately or potted up and kept in a frame for their first winter.
Edible uses
The flowers are very rich in nectar, this is collected and eaten.
Habitat
Not known
Native range
S. Africa and India.