Megaskepasma erythrochlamys

RHS Plant Profile

Brazilian red cloak

Other common names

red justicia

Conservatory Greenhouse Shrubs

A branching, dense, evergreen shrub to around 2.4m high and wide with prominently-veined, oval leaves up to 40cm long. Erect flower spikes are borne from late summer into winter and sporadically throughout the rest of the year with the white, two-lipped flowers surrounded by showy red bracts

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Loam

Max Height

1.5-2.5 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height: 1.5-2.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Loam

Moisture: Moist but 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): H1B

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Acanthaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus
Name Status: Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow under glass or in a frost-free environment in moist, well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade

Propagation

Propagate by seed, softwwod or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants
Sub-tropical

Pruning

Stems can be pruned hard in spring to promote and maintain bushiness

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, glasshouse whitefly, mealybugs and scale insects

Diseases

Generally disease-free