Melianthus Species, Honey Bush

The seeds are quite expensive but I have found a way to get 100% germination.
I take a nail file to the seed and scratch off jus...Read Moret the outer layer of the seed in about a 1/8" circle. I soak them in water for a few days then plant. Germination begins in about 4 weeks but it takes a few weeks for them all to germinate. I start in mid February for planting out on June 1 in Alaska. A lovely container plant with grasses around the edge.
Also discovered it is an herb. It has been used to treat snake bites and a violet dye is obtained from the flowers. Mine have not flowered in our short season.

Rating as Neutral for now because although I have found Melianthus easy to germinate if given cool temps (Warm temps had no germination),...Read More I can't keep them alive past the seedling stage.


Update 12/18/2015

Started another batch in cool temps, germinated very quickly. This time in case it was drainage issues I started them in palm and cactus mix instead of seed starting mix, but kept them watered. They were growingvery well until today, one seedling is laying on its side dying, the stem is not crimped so does not look like damping off. I cannot figure out what is causing this, do they need cool temps even when sprouted? I guess I am going to have to end up buying an adult plant, I cannot get these past the seedling stage. I am removing the remaining seedlings out from under the grow lights and moving them toward the floor where it is cool, I dont think this is good either but since they need cool temps to germinate, maybe they need cool temps to thrive as seedlings. After removing the dying seedling from its pot, the roots are still white, and alive looking, the seedling just dies. I carefully washed off the soil from the roots, and placed the seedling up to the cotyledons in pure damp sphagnum moss to see if I can save it. I use this method to save plants with root or bulb rot like bananas, and EE tubers, this is a much different type of plant but its going to die anyway, might as well try it.

I give this a positive because at our old house, in the years it was in the ground, this was quick to shoot upward, but slow to spread ou...Read Moretward. I never saw seedlings come up from the plant, and suckers only traveled a few inches from my plant. This plant is also very easy to grow from quite hefty cuttings, although it will take a while before those get established and vigorous.

I am growing this again at the new house, and it is growing in sand, and will not be kept moist year round (perhaps that's the key?). Either way, this is an attractive shrub with very silvery blue green foliage with a very architectural quality to the shapes of the leaflets (like regular saw teeth).

Melianthus can grow quite tall unless cut back. I had let my original plant grow stems close to ten feet high, although the leaves tend to get shorter as the stems get taller (not by much but they lose that lush look when the plant is shorter). Also note that they tend to hold old, dead, dried leaves unless you trim them off (I used to use a bamboo pole to knock the dead leaves off as the dried leaves shatter very easily).

The foliage isn't attractive smelling, but I don't quite qualify it as horrendous. Definitely a peanut butter smell but with an unpleasant undertone that says "you shouldn't eat me", and you shouldn't. It IS toxic, but don't let that stop you, plenty of people grow Delphiniums, Ranunculus, Digitalis and Oleanders and you hardly hear panicked warnings and complaints about their toxicity.

The flowers are also an interesting feature: dark, almost brick red in color, the inflorescence looks like a hooked bottle brush, and the flowers drip a nectar that has the color of old motor oil (nearly black). Seed pods are odd and interesting, but if one doesn't want seeds, then one should be cutting off the flowers once the first pods begin maturing (or even before).

My plants are growing very well in Zone 10 - Coastal Southern California.

However, I am having continuous trouble with a s...Read Moreooty-like smudge on the tops and underside of the leaves. I did have a significant white fly infestation that is now gone by diligent use of soapy water.

Does anyone have any tips for getting rid of the sooty-like smudge on the leaves? If left untouched, the leaves nearly are covered within about 2-3 weeks.

Thanks, Paula