PlantFiles: Chinese Rain Bell, Pink Strobilanthes, Vein Leaf Acanthus
Strobilanthes cusia

I have this plant growing in a garden on the edge of a golf course. The plant is now 5-6' tall and at least 4' wide. It gets watered almost daily by the golf course sprinklers and blooms with hundreds of flowers several times yearly.

Grew well in high shifting pine shade in Gainesville FL - took and rooted many cuttings from the plant under mist propagation - long-lasting attractive blooms - covered with a sheet during hard freezes, and has easily survived the last three winters here in 8b - grew to 3' tall by 3.5' wide by mid-summer with occasional pruning for shaping

I bought this plant on April 29, 2006 at the Palm Beach Mounts Tropical Gardens Plant Show. I have placed it into a filtered sun location but it is still in the original pot. I also bought a Grewia Caffra, a double Quisqualis, a Nyctanthus Arbor-tristis and a Cubanola.
Do any of these plants require acidic fertilizer? I would greatly welcome any information, also on placement: Sun? Shade or filtered sun? After hurricane Wilma I do not have much shade left because I lost five beautiful shade trees which protected my yard from the blistering afternoon sun.