Scientific Name:
Justicia brandegeeana
Pronunciation:
jus-TEE-see-ah bran-dij-ee-AN-uh
Common Name:
shrimp plant
Family Name:
Acanthaceae
Plant Type:
Annual (grown as)
Key ID Features:
Leaves opposite, ovate-lanceolate, most blades 3-11cm long x 2-5cm wide, margin entire, petioles 1-3cm long; florets arranged in a shrimp-like spike with reddish or rarely yellow bracts, corolla tubes 1.5-4cm long, white to lilac.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Pyramidal - widely
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
0.2 - 0.4m
Mature Spread:
0.1 - 0.3m
Origin:
Mexico
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 9: (-7 to -1 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Bedding plant, Container planting, Filler, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivar shown is J. 'Yellow Queen' (dwarf).
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Heavily veined
Surfaces:
Pubescent
Shapes:
Elliptic
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Acute, Attenuate
Margins:
Entire, Undulate (wavy)
Inflorescence Type:
Spike, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Tubular
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Yellow, Pink, Red (Depends on cultivar - lilac to red and pink is more common)
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug
Fruit Type:
Capsule
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Oblong ~1cm long with two locules
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Light Level:
Medium
Pest Susceptibility:
Fungal leaf spot, Mites, Whitefly or psyllids
