Grow Mickey Mouse plant in full sun or part shade on soil that drains. Mickey Mouse plant is Ochna serrulata, also sold as bird's eye bush or carnival bush — a South African shrub, not a mouse plant and not a cactus.
Give it full sun to part shade, and soil that drains
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, or morning sun with light afternoon shade | Do not sit it in deep shade if you want yellow flowers and the red fruit show |
| Soil | Loam with compost that still drains after rain | Do not plant it in a low hole that stays muddy |
| Water | Water when the top inch is dry, then let extra water leave | Do not leave the roots in standing water |
Mickey Mouse plant is an Ochnaceae shrub from South Africa, Ochna serrulata. Give it sun most of the day, or a bright understory where taller plants filter the afternoon heat. [1] It flowers best in full sun. In shade it still grows, but the yellow bloom and the later red sepals are thinner unless you water a little more in heat. [2] Set a nursery plant after frost on Planting Mickey Mouse Plant. Where a hard freeze will hit, grow it in a pot you can move — that cover work is on Overwintering Mickey Mouse Plant.
How much sun does Mickey Mouse plant need?
Full sun, or morning sun with light afternoon shade. Deep shade makes a thin shrub with few flowers.
Water when the top is dry, and do not leave it soggy
Water when the top inch of soil feels dry, then stop. The mix or the bed should stay moist while the shrub is settling, not waterlogged. Once the roots have left the nursery ball, a dry spell does not kill it the way a wet hole does. [3] In full sun, give a deep soak in a long hot week. In shade, water less. Yellow leaves often start with wet feet, not with a missed feeding. Work compost into the bed so the soil holds moisture and still drains. A young plant is slow until the roots take, so mulch the surface and keep bark off the stem. [4]
How often should I water Mickey Mouse plant?
When the top inch is dry. Through the first year, keep the soil moist but not soggy. After that, water in a long dry spell. A pot dries faster than a bed.
Not a mouse plant — and not a Mickey Mouse cactus
Mickey Mouse plant is Ochna serrulata, a woody shrub with saw-toothed leaves, a brief yellow bloom, then black fruit on bright red sepals. It is not mouse plant, which is How to Grow Mouse Plant. Mouse plant is a low woodland aroid with a tailed spathe. It is not Mickey Mouse cactus, or bunny ears, which is How to Grow Prickly Pear. If the tag is pads and glochids, you have a cactus, not this shrub.
Is mouse plant the same as Mickey Mouse plant?
No. Mouse plant is Arisarum, a low woodland aroid. This shrub is Ochna, grown for the red sepals and black fruit.
Is Mickey Mouse cactus the same plant?
No. Mickey Mouse cactus is a prickly-pear pad, often sold as bunny ears. This plant has leaves, not pads.
Give it sun and soil that drains, water when the top is dry, and do not buy a mouse plant or a cactus for this shrub.
FAQ
Are bird's eye bush and carnival bush the same plant?
Yes. Those are other shop names for Ochna serrulata. Small-leaved plane is the same shrub.
Is there more than one Mickey Mouse plant?
The shrub sold here is Ochna serrulata. A larger-leaved African shrub, Ochna kirkii, and the Vietnamese Tet plant Mai Vang, are different plants.
Will it spread from the garden?
Birds eat the black fruit and drop seed nearby. Pull extra seedlings in spring. Do not plant this shrub in Hawaii, where it crowds native forest.
Can I eat the fruit?
No. Grow it for the red-and-black show. Keep pets from chewing the fruit and leaves.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] SANBI PlantZAfrica -
https://pza.sanbi.org/ochna-serrulata - [2] San Marcos Growers -
https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=3227 - [3] Gardener's Path -
https://gardenerspath.com/plants/ornamentals/grow-mickey-mouse-plants/ - [4] Witkoppen Wildflower Nursery -
https://witkoppenwildflower.co.za/ochna-serrulata/
This note is part of Ochna Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors