Ochna serrulata
With its glossy green foliage, cheerful yellow blossoms, and striking fruit display, the Mickey Mouse plant (Ochna serrulata) is suited to cultivation in Zones 9 to 11.
Native to South Africa, this semi-evergreen shrub is also known as bird’s eye bush, carnival ochna, and small-leaved plane.
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Why the whimsical name?
As the yellow flowers fade, they’re followed by red petal-like sepals and glossy black berries, resembling the classic cartoon character’s yellow shoes, black ears, and red pants.
Read on to learn how to grow and care for Mickey Mouse shrubs in your landscape.
O. serrulata puts on a decorative display from late spring to fall.
The shrubs have a loose, irregular growth habit. Elliptical green leaves alternate along branching stems dotted with respiratory pores called lenticels, giving the bark a spotted appearance.
Five-petaled, fragrant yellow flowers appear briefly in spring.
As the petals fall, the green sepals enlarge and turn bright red, encasing the young green drupes that mature into shiny black berries by late summer.
The shrubs are semi-evergreen and may drop some leaves at season’s end in the cooler parts of their hardiness range.
Mickey Mouse plant is a slow-growing species with the potential to become invasive and has done so in parts of Australia and New Zealand as well as Hawai’i.
The Hawai‘i-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment rates it as “High Risk,” indicating significant potential for ecological disruption.
Note also that it is toxic to people and pets if ingested.
Quick Look
Common name(s): Mickey Mouse plant, bird’s eye bush, carnival ochna, small-leaved plane
Plant type: Semi-evergreen shrub
Hardiness (USDA Zone): 9-11
Native to: South Africa
Bloom time / season: Late spring to fall
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
Soil type: Average, well-draining loam
Soil pH: 5.5-6.5, slightly acidic
Time to maturity: 3 years
Mature size: 4-8 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide
Best uses: Specimen, hedging, container
Taxonomy
Order: Malpighiales
Family: Ochnaceae
Genus: Ochna
Species: Serrulata
Other, less commonly cultivated Ochna species include O. natalitia, aka Mickey Mouse bush, and Natal or showy plane.
This species differs from O. serrulata, having larger leaves that emerge red in the spring and slightly larger yellow flowers.
Expect mature heights of four to eight feet with a spread of three to four feet.
Mickey Mouse plants work well as ornamental specimens, naturalize readily, and make attractive informal hedges when multiple are planted together, spaced three to four feet apart.
How to Grow
Mickey Mouse plant is relatively easy to cultivate when its basic requirements are met. It thrives in warm, humid environments that mimic its native subtropical South African habitat.
Climate
This shrub flourishes in temperatures ranging between 59 and 97°F during the growing season.
It can tolerate temperatures as low as 28°F in winter but may experience leaf drop or dieback.
In areas prone to frost, consider providing protection or cultivating Mickey Mouse plant in containers that can be moved indoors during colder months.
Light
Choose a location with full sun to partial shade. In the warmest regions, an understory placement with the dappled sunlight penetrating the foliage of taller shrubs and trees can help to avoid leaf scorch.
While Mickey Mouse plant can tolerate some shade, insufficient light may lead to reduced flowering and fruiting.
Soil
The soil should be moisture-retentive, well-draining average loam. A slightly acidic to neutral pH between 5.5 and 6.5 is ideal.
Water
Maintain consistent moisture, especially during the growing season. Water Mickey Mouse plants when the top inch of soil feels dry, ensuring the soil remains moist but not waterlogged.
Once established, O. serrulata exhibits moderate drought tolerance but benefits from regular watering during prolonged dry periods.
Fertilizing
Mickey Mouse isn’t a heavy feeder, so avoid overfertilizing, which can damage roots and stems.
If your soil is poor, work in a few handfuls of compost at planting time to improve nutrition and drainage.
Each spring, you can top-dress with compost or apply a slow-release granular fertilizer with a 5-10-5 (NPK) ratio to support blooming and fruit development.
Keep the product away from the base of the shrub to avoid stem burn.
Where to Buy
Mickey Mouse plant is not commonly available through mainstream nurseries or large online retailers.
You will most likely find it in specialty nurseries in the appropriate growing zones or from plant enthusiasts.
You can find Mickey Mouse plants available from 9EzTropical via Amazon in six-inch pots.
Maintenance
Prune after fruiting to shape the specimen into a compact, multi-branching shrub or single-trunked small tree.
Avoid removing more than one-third of the total volume at any one time to avoid shock.
You can also perform light trimming during the growing season to remove dead, damaged, or diseased branches as needed.
Pluck and dispose of seedlings that pop up in unwanted places in the spring.
Propagation
You can propagate these shrubs from seeds or via stem cuttings. The easiest way to get started is to transplant a nursery start.
From Seed
Purchase seeds or collect the fruits from an existing Mickey Mouse plant when they turn black and crinkly.
You can remove the seeds from the fruits or simply scarify them by rubbing them with sandpaper or a nail file to remove some of the tough outer coating.
- Soak the seeds overnight in tepid water.
- Fill three-inch seed starter pots three-quarters full with moisture-retentive, well-draining potting soil.
- Sow one or two seeds in each pot about a third of an inch deep.
- Cover them lightly with soil.
- Water the soil so it’s evenly moist but not waterlogged.
- Set them in a location with bright, indirect sunlight.
- Maintain even moisture by watering before the potting mix dries out.
- When the seedlings have several sets of true leaves, thin them to one per pot.
The seedlings are ready for transplant when they are about four to six inches tall.
From Cuttings
To propagate from stem cuttings, wait for a flush of new foliar growth.
- Cut a six-inch length of fresh stem and tip growth just below a leaf node.
- Remove the leaves from the bottom three inches of stem.
- Prepare a six-inch pot three-quarters full of moisture-retentive, well-draining potting medium.
- Use a pencil or chopstick to make a three-inch-deep hole in the center of the soil.
- Dip the cut end of the stem into rooting hormone powder.
- Place the stem in the three-inch hole so the leafless part is below the soil.
- Tamp the soil to hold it firmly in place and water in well.
- Place the container in bright, indirect sunlight. Maintain even moisture without oversaturation.
When the cutting produces new foliage it’s ready to transplant.
Transplanting
When you have an established seedling, cutting, or nursery start, you can transplant it to the landscape in spring. In warm, frost-free regions, late winter to early spring is ideal.
Begin by watering shrub the day before to help ease transplant shock. Note its depth in the original container.
Choose a site with loamy, well-draining soil, and amend it with compost if necessary to improve texture and drainage.
Work the soil to a depth of eight to 12 inches until it is crumbly and free from debris.
Make a hole twice as wide and the same depth as the current container.
Unpot and place the root ball in the prepared hole at the same depth as in the original container, slightly above ground level.
Backfill, tamp well, and water in well.
Maintain even moisture during the establishment period, watering when the top few inches of soil dry out.
Alternatively, grow in a well-draining container three-quarters full of a moisture-retentive, well-draining potting medium.
Choose a pot that’s two to four inches wider and deeper than the root ball. Water when the top few inches of soil feel dry, and hold off on fertilizing at planting time.
Pests and Disease
While Mickey Mouse plant is not especially prone to problems with pests or disease, you may encounter them in less than ideal growing conditions.
Scale, mealybugs, and thrips are sapsucking insects that favor hot, dry conditions.
These insects feed on plant juices and can cause yellowing leaves, stunted growth, and overall decline. They may also spread disease.
Keep the soil consistently moist but not soggy to help discourage infestations, and treat outbreaks with organic neem oil.
The lenticels on the branches are open pores that can sometimes become entry points for fungal pathogens, particularly in overly wet or humid conditions.
To reduce the risk of infection, ensure the shrub receives adequate sunlight and avoid overwatering.
M-I-C-K-E-Y-M-O-U-S-E
If you are – ahem – of a certain age, like me, you are bound to have seen one of the incarnations of the Mickey Mouse Club TV show and know that the theme song spelled out the beloved rodent’s name.
The bright red sepals and black fruits of easy-care, semi-evergreen O. serrulata make a vibrant, whimsical welcome in outdoor living spaces in the classic “Hey, there, hi there, ho there” Mickey Mouse style many gardeners fondly remember.
Do you grow Mickey Mouse plant in your landscape? Please share your tips in the comments section below.
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