Honey Bush Plant Care

Honey Bush (Melianthus major) belongs to the Francoaceae family within the Melianthus genus. Honey Bush is native to South Africa and naturalised in India, Australia and New Zealand. Honey Bush is also known as Cape Honey Flower, Giant Honey Flower.

Honey Bush displays a tall, upright shrub growth habit, reaching up to 6 ft tall with a spread of approximately 4 ft. Honey Bush produces showy spikes of red or orange flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 12 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Honey Bush every 7–14 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Honey Bush thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Melianthus major tolerates temperatures of 50–80°F. Honey Bush prefers humidity levels of 40–70%.

Well-draining soil with added compost for nutrients. Good drainage is essential for Honey Bush to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Honey Bush every 6 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun to partial shade and well-draining soil with added compost for nutrients. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Honey Bush is suited to USDA Zone 12a.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Honey Bush can spread to about 4 ft (1.2 m) and reach about 6 ft (2 m) tall. Space plants about 4 ft (1.2 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Honey Bush while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Honey Bush is frost-tender (hardy to USDA zone 12). In colder areas grow it in a container and move it to a bright, frost-free place before the first frost.

Honey Bush can be propagated through seeds, division of offsets. Similar propagation techniques also apply to honey bush plant care, which shares the same genus.

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Honey Bush is susceptible to aphids, spider mites, whiteflies. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Honey Bush grows outdoors in USDA Zone 12a. It survives winters down to planting zone 12a. Honey Bush is native to South Africa and naturalised in India, Australia and New Zealand. In cooler regions, grow Honey Bush as a houseplant or bring it indoors before the first frost.