Justicia brandegeeana

RHS Plant Profile
shrimp plant

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shrimp plant RHS 1997

Other common names

Brazilian shower plant, caterpillars, false hop, fountain plant, lobster plant, Mexican shrimp plant, shrimp bush

Synonyms

Beloperone guttata
Justicia guttata

Award of Garden Merit
Conservatory Greenhouse Houseplants
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A lax evergreen shrub to 1m in height, with ovate leaves and compact arching spikes composed of conspicuous overlapping pink bracts and small tubular white flowers borne over a long period

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

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
Justicia can be evergreen perennials or shrubs, with simple leaves and spikes or clusters of tubular, 2-lipped flowers often with conspicuous bracts
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
Mexico

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow under glass or in a sheltered frost-free enviroment. Pinch out tips to promote compact plants. Best replaced when they become leggy

Propagation

Propagate by seed, softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Patio and container plants

Pruning

Pruning group 9

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

Generally disease-free