PlantFiles: Brazilian Plume, Flamingo Flower, Jacobinia, Pine-Bur Begonia
Justicia carnea

When I bought this plant the leaves were large and shiny dark green. It got lots of flowers and was strikingly beautiful. Now that I've had it about 10 years, it really doesn't look like the same plant and it actually hasn't for at least 5 years. The leaves have become fairly small and wilted. I try not to water to see if that helps, but it doesn't. I try to water more to see if that helps, but that doesn't seem to matter either. I've tried cutting it completely down (it's in a huge pot); I've tried thinning it out, but nothing seems to help. Any advice?

I put this plant in the ground after buying it at the Del Mar fair in Ca. It is very invasive. It comes up even in the sun. I dig it out wherever I see it, and it still comes back. Unless it is in a pot, plant something else.

This is what I don't understand: I live in Hawaii and this plant looks similar to Shrimp Plants and the Panama Queen. I think it would do very well in my garden. But how do I acquire one? There are all kinds of regs that prevent shipping to Hawaii... If the plant isn't available in nurseries here, and if no one locally has one to sell or trade, what next? bett@bidleman.net

I have grown this plant for at least 15 years - outdoors in central Virginia, zone 7a. It is sited in a south-facing bed, so it gets winter sun which is important. Of course it dies down after the first hard freeze, but it comes back reliably each spring. So I think of it as a perennial rather than a tropical. I'm surprised that none of the articles I've read about Justicia carnea ever convey this fact. It is much hardier than the authors suggest!

I had tried to protect my plant outdoors during the frost we had this winter by covering it with a cloth sheet. Well, it was not the answer to it's trouble. The cold air itself seemed to l cause this plant to die back, and to my delight it is getting green and recovering well. So in the future I will let it be. It knows what to do! This is a great plant and hardy. I will propagate it and give it as gifts in the future!

I live in the Vancouver, Canada area. Bought this plant at a garage sale last year because it was so unique. Didn't know the name of the plant, how to grow it, etc. but finally found it on this site. Even the local garden centers didn't know what it was. Love the plant and it seems to grow fine in our climate here. but I do take it in for the winter just in case. Have to be careful in moving it as I find the branches break easily. Would like to get it in some of the other colors.

.........Don

In Australia this lovely plant is commonly known as the "feather duster plant". In my opinion this is actually a fair accurate, if somewhat unkind, description of the flowers. Whatever you call it, it is certainly beautiful!

When I bought this plant approximately 5 or 6 yrs. ago I planted it in full sun since no information came with it when I bought it and it never did very well. I did know that it was a perennial plant and when it died back in the winter it always came back the following spring but did rather poorly.....then I read that this plant preferred the shade so I proceeded to dig it up and transplant it to a part sun/part shade (more shade than sun) area in my garden and it has thrived beautifully there . When I transplanted it I mixed in a small amount of Black Kow and Osmocote with the soil and it's now full of buds that are just begining to open . I'm going to try rooting a few cuttings when it's finished blooming to see if I can't get a few more of these hardy beauties for my garden.

Plant completely died back in the winter, but has been growing back all year and just started blooming. Beautiful foliage, and the flowers are so different from others. Wonderful addition to my perennial garden. It has been in our garden for several years and is a nice size.

I rooted this plant from one that my grandmother had growing in her greenhuse for over 25 years. The parent plant is at least 6 feet tall. WIthin a mnth or two of the new cutting sprouting roots and taking hold, it began to flower. It is now December and is still bloooming...and I don't have a greenhouse!

has anyone heard this plant referred to as a parrot flower?

This plant has returned dependably for me for the past couple of years. I find, in our hot, humid, NE Florida summers, the Jacobinas prefer a mostly shady location, but do tolerate some sun. I only recently realized these plants are in the same genus as Shrimp Plants.

Jeremy

Underated and underused plant with a very tropical look. Grows over 4 feet and almost an everbloomer. With the right fertilizer the leaves turn a very dark green.Does best with regular watering.

I am passionate about this plant -- I got it off a trash pile in a plant store in Baltimore -- I knew in our area it was not hardy outside, but for 28 years I;ve been bringing it indoors, each fall (It's the only plant I go to that much trouble for!.. It blooms INDOORS before I put it out, huge blossoms. Blooms again outside. It gets huge outside in part shade, with woody stems.

I rarely bring the actual plant back in because it's so woody, but just some cuttings --it's the greatest - in-demand-plant I have, and I;m glad to share -- if I lose it, I wouldn't know where to beqin to replace it.

I adore this plant!!

They do not like the sun. Mine grows great in full shade. It blooms from late spring to early winter in North Florida. We have had a light freeze and it is still green. Looks like it might bloom again soon. I have rooted some cuttings and they look like they are doing fine. Now I will be able to share it with others. I love this plant.

I love this plant. I bought mine this past summer and planted it in full sun and it almost died. I dug it up and put it in a pot and put it in FULL SHADE and now is doing great. They don't like full Texas sun! I also broke off some of the stems and just stuck them in some potting soil and have rooted and are doing great also. I will put them all in the ground this spring in a full shade area.

I LOVE these plants - they are carefree and bloom repeatedly all spring and summer! The plants will get quite tall and covered with blooms! We grow them in pretty much full SHADE here in central Florida, I don't recall seeing any in full sun and I haven't tried it myself since they do so well in the shade. Easy to root with cuttings in good soil.

I live in Colorado, not exactly the best place to grow this beautiful plant, but it is growing beautifuly indoors, I'm sure it wouldn't survive the cold winters outdoors. My first plant has barely survived being moved from house to house and from window to window trying to find the spot it will like best. It is now thriving in a full sun on the eastern exposure except for a minor problem with its broad leaves. I can't figure out if the soil is to blame for this problem or ??? When I was first given the plant it grew fast and then the leaves started to like "blister" and turn yellow and fall off. Now I have two TALL plants (the original had several stalks and I cut one stalk, put it in water to promote root growth and repotted it), with growth at the top but nothing but a stalk near the bottom. I am wondering if I can cut all the plants stalks down and place in water again to force root growth and repot all. If I do this I'll have 12 smaller individual plants with "blistered-like" leaves. I wonder if anyone has a suggestion on why the leaves are looking like they do.

My experience is that hummingbirds and butterflies are both attracted to the deep pink bracts.

Both Justicia Carnea and its close relative, Justicia Aurea grow profusely, here in Costa Rica Justicia Carnea, with its crimson flowers is usually grown as a hedge. The Justicia Aurea is not so commom, and is favoured by butterflies. Both, will root easily, if placed in good soil.

The velvety pink petals are so lovely and so interesting. Mine is growing in fairly dense shade and is, unfortunately, hidden by achillea in the front of the bed; however, sighting the blooms provides a pleasant surprise. I know where I'll put it next year for a better view and sincerely hope that cuttings will provide me with more of these terrific plants.

I have started this plant successfully from root divisions. They grow fast and bloom nicely.

San Antonio, TX
I have propagated this plant from stem cuttings. Be sure to leave about 4 leaves, pull off all others, dip in a root stimulator making sure that at least 2 notches where leaves used to be are dipped in the root stimulator, place cutting in pot filled with a good potting soil and keep soil moist until new leaves appear.

I planted my new plants in a container in a rose soil mix adding a little more more peat moss, 1 third herb mix (to lighten it for better drainage) and some rabbit manure. The new plants have deep green leaves as opposed to the light green leaves on my other plume flower plants and the leaves are twice as large. These plants have difficulty growing in the alkaline soil here in the northern section of San Antonio. No matter how much Miracid I applied, the plants still struggled to attain a rich leaf color and large bloom size. I have transplanted most of these plants to pots containing the rose soil mix described above and all are thriving in shade and filtered shade. I added rabbit manure and rose soil as a top dressing to one plant that I left in the ground and it has perked up.

If you observe a leaf being eaten, dust with Sevin Dust IMMEDIATELY. I have had all the leaves stripped in 2 days by insects usually at the end of July and in Ausust. The plants grow new leaves, but are very unsightly, to say the least, with no leaves.

They freeze to the ground if we have a cold winter and they are left uncovered, but sprout from the roots in the spring.

The blooms are beautiful and the bloom season long especially when the faded blooms are deadheaded. This is one of my favorite plants especially with the greener foliage now which sets off the pink blooms better.

I bought this plant only yesterday and I love the colour. It is the red/pink one. I'll also buy the yellow one shortly. Very attractive.

I am in Victoria, Australia and I have this plant in my front yard where it gets full midday and afternoon sun. Apart from the previous owners hacking it (it is a bit straggly at the bottom, but is getting there) it has the most beautiful flowers. I have tried to take cuttings before, but they have not taken.

I LOVE THIS PLANT
I PINCH OR CLIP DYING FLOWERS AND IT REBLOOMS
AND REBLOOMS AND REBLOOMS AND.....

This plant survived the mild winter here in zone 7a. It died back, but came back from the roots.

Cut back in early spring, blooms in summer and fall. A white form is available.

Dense clusters of tubular pink to crimson blooms on 4-5 ft stems, blooms mid summer to fall. Calls for partial to full shade, but can be grown in full sun in upper south. Propagation by cuttings in spring.