Scientific name: Melianthus major
Family: MELIANTHACEAE
Common names: “Peanut butter bush” “Honey bush” “Touch-me-not”
Plant Type: Evergreen shrub, herbaceous in colder winters
Conditions:
Zone: 8-10
Light: Full sun
Exposure: Sheltered
Soil: Moderately fertile
Moisture: Moist well drained, some water in summer, doesn’t like excessive winter wet
Aesthetic:
Plant Size: H 6-10′ W 3-10′
Leaf and Stem shape: Handsome glaucous, pinnate leaves, smell like peanuts when you rub them
Flower: Small, tubular maroon flowers in erect racemes in spring and summer
Pruning: Minimal
Maintenance: Low, cut out flowered stems and remove any dead leaves
Landscape use: Mixed and wallside borders, patio container plant, architectural
Propagate: By basal cuttings and division
Pests & Disease: Generally healthy
*Deer resistant ♥Attracts hummingbirds
Comments: Native to South Africa, ~AGM winner