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Acanthaceae
Brazilian Plume Flower
Justicia carnea
Tropical exuberance and gentle showmanship.
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Genus
- Justicia
- Native to
- Atlantic forest of Brazil
- Bloom season
- Summer, Fall
- Type
- evergreen shrub
- Height
- 1–2 m
- Sunlight
- part shade
- Soil
- fertile, moist, well-drained
- Water
- medium
- Hardiness
- 8–11
- Lifespan
- long-lived perennial
Did you know
- The pink flower clusters are arranged like fluffy rocket-shaped plumes at the tips of every shoot.
- Its main pollinators in the wild are tropical hummingbirds with long curved bills.
- It belongs to the same family as shrimp plant, ixora, and the cat's-whisker — all tropical Acanthaceae stars.
- Cut stems root almost immediately in plain water, making it one of the easiest tropicals to share with friends.
- It blooms most reliably when stems are cut back hard each spring to encourage new flowering wood.
Color meanings
Pink
soft rainforest joy
White
gentle clarity