Ochna serrulata

Plant Characteristics

Habit		shrub
Lifespan:	⌛	perennial

Cultivation

Scientific Names

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Ochna serrulata, commonly known as the mall-leaved plane, carnival bush, carnival ochna, or Bird's Eye Bush, is an ornamental garden plant which is highly invasive in parts of eastern Australia. Other names the shrub is known by include Micky Mouse Plant and Mickey Mouse bush because the plant's bright-red sepals resemble the face of Mickey Mouse. Its origin is South Africa, and it is in the Ochnaceae family.

Ochna serrulata is a small shrub growing to between 1 and 2 m (3–7 ft) high, although it may occasionally become a small tree up to 6 m (20 ft) high. The narrow leaves are oblong to elliptic and measure 3–6 cm (1.2-2.4 in) in length by 0.8-1.5 cm wide, and are shiny green with fine toothed serrations along the leaf edges. During the spring, the shrub's fragrant yellow blossoms that appear are usually around 2 cm (0.8 in) in diameter. Though, the petals tend to drop soon after they bloom. Five or six fruits grow from the plant, which are attached to the sepals. While the fruit is developing, the sepals enlarge and turn bright red, in most cases turning the whole plant red. The 0.5 cm diameter fruit are initially pale green and turn black. In places including Kirstenbosch, the fruits on the plant start ripening in the early summer, while the red sepals last until around late summer. The flowers usually attract bees and butterflies, while the birds tend to eat the fruits from the plant. The seeds can be released by birds and water.

Read about Ochna serrulata in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Ochna multiflora, DC. Glabrous shrub, 4-5 ft. or more high: Lvs. oblong-elliptical to oblanceolate-oblong: petals sessile; anthers as long as the filaments, opening longitudinally, sepals in fr. about 4 lines long. Upper Guinea. —0. multiflora is a greenhouse shrub cult, by a few fanciers for its remarkable appearance when in fr. The fls. are yellow, appear in spring, and are borne to the number of 10-15 in racemes terminating short lateral branches. The blossoms are short-lived, but the calyx is persistent. Its 5 sepals are greenish in fl.( but become a bright red in fr. The receptacle increases until it becomes an inch or so thick, globular and bright red. Upon it are borne black seedlike bodies, which are the carpels. The red and black make a fine contrast. This plant is best prop, by half-ripened cuttings struck in summer or autumn. It requires in England a winter temperature of 48-60°, and summer temperature of 60-85°; soil, fibrous loam with plenty of drainage. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

Cultivation

Gallery

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  An Ochna serrulata with fruits and petals. The plant's bright-red sepals that resembles the face of Mickey Mouse can be seen.

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  An ochna serrulata shrub

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  photo 3

References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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