Leonotis is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. It comprises 9 species. One of these, Leonotis nepetifolia, is native to tropical Africa and southern India. It is naturalized throughout most of the tropics. The other 8 species are endemic to southern Africa. Leonotis was named by Robert Brown in 1810 in Prodromus Florae Novae Hollandiae et Insulae Van Diemen. The name means “lion’s ear”. It will attract birds, butterflies and bees to the garden.

Leonotis leonurus alba is a white flowering form of Leonotis leonurus. Leonotis leonurus also known as Lion’s Tail and Wild Dagga, is a broadleaf evergreen large shrub indigenous to South Africa. It is known for its medicinal and mild psychoactive properties. The main psychoactive component of Leonotis leonurus is leonurine. The shrub grows 1 to 2 m tall by 0.50 to 1 m wide. The medium-dark green leaves are aromatic when crushed. The plant has tubular orange flowers in tiered whorls that encircle the square stems. They rise above the foliage mass during the summer season, with flowering continuing into winter in warmer climates. Leonotis leonurus has long been used in traditional African herbal medicine for fevers, headaches, dysentery, flu, chest infections, epilepsy, constipation, delayed menstruation, intestinal worms, spider bites, scorpion stings, hypertension and snakebites. Externally, it is often used for hemorrhoids, eczema, skin rashes and boils. The dried leaves and flowers have a mild calming effect when smoked. In some users, the effects have been noted to be similar to the cannabinoid THC found in Cannabis, except that it has a much less potent high. It has also been reported to cause mild euphoria, visual changes, dizziness, nausea, sweating, sedation and lightheadedness. It is sometimes used as a Cannabis substitute by recreational users as an alternative to illegal psychoactive plants. The picked and dried leaves are also commonly brewed as a tea.