Strobilanthes wallichii

RHS Plant Profile
hardy Persian shield

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Strobilanthes wallichii?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
hardy Persian shield RHS
hardy Persian shield RHS

Other common names

cane head, kandali, Kashmir acanthus, Wallich's cane head, Wallich's conehead, wild petunia

Synonyms

Ruellia alata
Strobilanthes atropurpurea Nees
Pteracanthus alatus

Herbaceous Perennial
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
14 Suppliers

An upright perennial to around 50cm high, with a woody base, gently creeping roots, and slender, angled stems bearing pairs of elliptic to lance-shaped green leaves with serrated edges. In late summer, tubular purple-blue flowers, curved over at the tips, are borne singly or in pairs on leafy stems

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H4

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Acanthaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Strobilanthes can be evergreen or herbaceous perennials or subshrubs with simple, opposite leaves and spikes, cone-like clusters or loose panicles of tubular or funnel-shaped flowers
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Himalaya China

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in light, fertile, free-draining soil in full sun or part shade. May benefit from mulching in winter

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown at 13-18°C in spring, or by basal or softwood cuttings in spring or early summer, with bottom heat

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Gravel garden
  • Banks and slopes
  • Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to red spider mite

Diseases

Generally disease-free