Leaf of the Day: A Mickey Mouse Plant

What could be more appropriate for an Orlando Botanical Garden than the Mickey Mouse Plant, although the label at Leu Gardens more conservatively calls this the Bird’s Eye Bush. It caught my eye with its colourful little yellow flowers and strange little fruits.

This is Ochna serrulata, the Mickey Mouse Plant, or Bird’s Eye Bush,
Originally from Southern Africa this little bush has fragrant yellow flowers in spring and very attractive fruits. These start green and become shiny black and berry-like, suspended below the original bright-red sepals. The birds enjoy them and the flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies. It’s a very nice little novelty plant.

So why Mickey Mouse? Well, its because of the black seeds. One of mine just did happen to have 3 black seeds so how could I resist it??? …and yes, there a million other things I should be doing right now :).

I think he is more Steamboat Willie than modern Mickey.
____________________________________________

Birds Eye Plant