Image: SA Plants

(Cutting Grown)
Mimetes fimbriifolius — or the tree pagoda, if the botany name’s a bit of a mouthful — looks like something that shouldn’t exist… and yet there it is, casually being the biggest, oldest, most unbothered member of the genus. I don’t know this for a fact, but it probably walked to school barefoot.
 
This one actually leans tree, not shrub like Mimetes cucullatus. Dense, rounded, and built around a thick, corky trunk that’s basically fire armor.
 
The flowers stack along the stems in those weird, architectural tiers—red and yellow, half-hidden under hooded leaves like they’re peeking out. Exactly the kind of strange structure that makes this genus so good.
 
In the garden: sharp drainage, low phosphorus, no fuss. Let it do its oddball pagoda thing—and try not to roll your eyes when it slips into a “back in my day” story.
 
Flower Color: White
Best Show: Late Winter/Spring
Height: 6-10 feet
Width: 6-10 feet
Exposure: Sun
Soil Type: Good Drainage
Cold Tolerance: 26-28f
Irrigation requirements: Low Once Established