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Acanthaceae
Shrimp Plant
Justicia brandegeeana
Whimsy, charm, surprise.
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Genus
- Justicia
- Native to
- Mexico
- Bloom season
- Year-Round In Warm Climates
- Type
- Evergreen tropical shrub
- Height
- 60–120 cm
- Sunlight
- Part shade to full sun
- Soil
- Rich, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 9–11
- Lifespan
- Long-lived
Did you know
- The 'flower' of the shrimp plant isn't really a flower at all — it's a long curved stack of overlapping pinkish-red bracts (modified leaves) that really do look like a shrimp's tail.
- Tiny white tubular flowers poke out from between the bracts and are pollinated by hummingbirds, which mistake the bract spike for a hanging hummingbird feeder.
- Each shrimp-shaped bract spike can last for months even after the actual flowers have fallen, providing constant color in the tropical garden.
- Shrimp plant blooms continuously in warm climates and is one of the easiest tropical container plants for indoor growers in cooler regions.
- There's also a yellow form called 'lollipop plant' (Pachystachys lutea) and a chartreuse-and-cream variety known as the 'fruit cocktail shrimp plant'.
Color meanings
Salmon
Playful delight