Honey Flower – 10 Seeds

Honey Flower seeds. Melianthus comosus is a fast growing, drought resistant multi-stemmed shrub, with attractive feathery-green foliage. The brightly colored orange or red flowers produce an abundance of black nectar that attracts Sunbirds, Cape white eyes, bees and butterflies. The plant is also known as  honey bush, kruidje-roer-my-niet, touch-me-not, tufted honey flower, Kokkoromoniet (Afr) Ibonya (Zu).
All parts of the plant produce a strong, unpleasant smell when bruised. Melianthus comes from the Greek word Meli = honey and anthos = flower meaning that it has abundant nectar. Comosus means “with a tuft of hair or leaves”.

Honey Flower Medicinal Benefits
Leaf poultices and leaf decoctions are widely used to treat septic wounds, sores, bruises, backache and rheumatic joints. Leaf infusions can be added to bath water to treat backache, rheumatic fever and rheumatic joints. Leaf poultices and leaf infusions (wash) are used topically to treat septic wounds, sores and bruises – an ointment can be made by simmering the leaves in oil or lard.

It is a traditional remedy for snakebite.

Growing Honey Flower

• Melianthus comosus is easily propagated from seed, which is large, black and easy to handle.
• Sow the Honey Flower seeds in spring or autumn, in deep seed trays in a medium of compost only.
• When sowing seed in the colder months, germination may take about four weeks.
• Cover the seeds, keep them moist, leave the seedlings in the trays until the fourth leaf stage.
• Transplant into a medium of 2 parts compost and 2 parts loam.
• It is important in cold areas to keep the pots warm and sheltered during winter.
• Prefers full sun and well-drained soil.
• The plant needs to be pruned to encourage new growth and to keep it neat.