Flower profile
Lion's ear
Leonotis nepetifolia
Lion's ear (Leonotis nepetifolia) is a flowering plant in the Lamiaceae family, introduced in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly January–December across the U.S.
Lion's ear is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as introduced in the lower 48 states.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Hawaii
Quick look
Leonotis nepetifolia,, is a species of plant in the genus Leonotis and the family Lamiaceae (mint), native to tropical Africa and the Indian Subcontinent. It can also be found growing abundantly in much of Latin America, Southeast Asia, the West Indies, and the Southeastern United States.
- It belongs to the Lamiaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a annual life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as introduced in the lower 48 states and records it in 11 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as not native to Hawaii. NatureServe
- iNaturalist has 718 research-grade sightings of it in Hawaii, ranking #67 among the 118 flowers on our Hawaii list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
There are only a handful of Hawaii flowering records, so this chart uses records from across the U.S.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- GNR Not yet ranked worldwide. NatureServe
- Hawaii
- Not listed Not on Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNA, not applicable (usually because it isn't native there) in Hawaii. HAR 13-107
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records lion's ear in 11 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas.
Hawaii counties with USDA records: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kauai, Maui.
Names, range and relatives
Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Hawaii: Introduced; Lower 48 states: Introduced; Puerto Rico: Introduced; U.S. Virgin Islands: Introduced.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 94 counties across 9 states; the most are in Florida (32), Louisiana (21), South Carolina (12).
More from the Lamiaceae family (44 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Common selfheal, Ground-ivy, Red deadnettle, American beautyberry, Henbit deadnettle, Wild bergamot, Lyreleaf sage, American germander.
More Hawaii flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LENE.
- iNaturalist, Leonotis nepetifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Leonotis nepetifolia (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Hawaii: Hawaii threatened and endangered plants (HAR 13-107; the state list follows the federal list), DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
- Hawaii: Hawaii noxious weed list (HAR 4-68).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Leonotis nepetifolia (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Daryl Nolan via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.