Too much bloom should be no problem. Although, for lion’s tail, Leonotis leonurus, it can be. It blooms for the middle of spring. Then, it continues blooming in increasingly prolific phases until late summer or autumn. There is little time for deadheading between bloom phases. Furthermore, deadheading too aggressively delays subsequent bloom phases.

It is best to prune deteriorating bloomed stems just below their lowest floral tufts. Pruned stems can then generate side shoots that should bloom for a subsequent phase. Growth unfortunately gets congested by the end of the season. Coppicing late in winter removes all of such congested growth. This promotes new growth and a new beginning for spring.

Mature specimens can grow taller than six feet by the end of summer, and slightly wider. Their narrow leaves are about three inches long. They bloom with dense tufts of tubular flowers in neat tiers on the upright stems. Floral color is almost exclusively bright orange. Cultivars with yellow or white bloom are rare and not as bright. Foliage is very aromatic. New plants are easy to propagate by division while plants are coppiced.