It is particularly attractive in spring when in flower and sporting its new lush leaf growth after the wet Cape winter. During the dry summers or whenever the plants are untidy, they should be cut back hard to encourage new growth. The plants can survive in cold areas with frost, sending new shoots from the base in spring. Melianthus grow very easily from seed or cuttings. The seed is sown in autumn in seed trays filled with a well-drained medium and covered lightly with sand or finely milled bark.
Germination is usually within a month.
The young seedlings are potted up into bags or small pots and grown on until strong enough to be planted out into the garden. The cuttings can be made any time of the year depending on material available. Cuttings are made from the new shoots sprouting from the base. There are 6 species of Melianthus , all of which are found in South Africa.