''Justicia brandegeeana'', the Mexican shrimp plant, shrimp plant or false hop, is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

shrub in the genus '' Justicia'' of the acanthus

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Acanthaceae,

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and enterta ...

to Mexico, and also

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the i ...

in Florida. It grows to 1 m tall (rarely more) with spindly limbs. The leaves are oval, green, 3–7.5 cm long. The flowers are white, extending from red bracts which look somewhat like

shrimp Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...

s, hence the common name "shrimp flower". The

specific epithet In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...

is named for the American botanist

Townshend Stith Brandegee Townshend Stith Brandegee (February 16, 1843 – April 7, 1925) was an American botanist. He was an authority on the flora of Baja California and the Channel Islands of California. Early life Brandegee was born on February 16, 1843, in Berlin, C ...

(1843–1925). It is sometimes misspelled "''brandegeana''".

Description

''Justicia brandegeeana'' is a bushy

shrub growing to tall by broad. The stems and leaves are downy. The leaves are variegated and usually grow in clusters on the branches. As the plant receives more sun, the amount of creamy white on the speckled leaves will increase, and vice versa. The flowers emerge from bracts that form off the stems. The bracts start out white, but with more sun exposure they turn anywhere from pale pink to deep salmon. A chain of bracts will continue to grow until it falls off in most cases; thus the chains can grow anywhere from a few centimetres to nearly in length. Flowers emerge from the bracts; usually they are long, thin, and white with speckled maroon throats. Blooming continues for months once it has begun, then halts for a short period before starting again. The flowers attract

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics ar ...

s and

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises t ...

. Pollination is usually by hummingbirds The family ''Acanthaceae'' is in the major group Angiosperms (flowering plants). The genus ''Justicia'' is in the family ''Acanthaceae''. The genus ''Justicia'' comprises about 600 species. Research has been done on the phytochemical components of the numerous Justicia species, showing that they possess antitumor, antiviral and antidiabetic activity. ''J. brandegeena'' has not been a topic of phytochemical research until recently.

Pests and diseases

Spider mites and whiteflies may be a problem. Nematodes

Root Rot Root rot is a condition in which anoxic conditions in the soil or potting media around the roots of a plant cause them to rot. This occurs due to excessive standing water around the roots. It is found in both indoor and outdoor plants, althoug ...

: Fungal diseases that cause decay and rotting of the roots and premature plant death Fungal leaf spotting or rust may afflict plants.

Cultivation

The shrimp plant thrives in the shade in tropical areas. It does best in well-drained sandy or loamy soil, but is generally low maintenance and drought-tolerant. As it dislikes temperatures below , in cooler

temperate In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...

areas it is best grown under glass, where it is excellent as a potted

houseplant A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...

, owing to its ability to tolerate low light and some neglect. Fertilization is not required. The shape is generally long and spindly. If trimmed back regularly, it can maintain a bushy habit and will not need support. If the branches are allowed to grow long, they will become unable to support themselves and sag towards the ground. Numerous

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s are available, with different flower bract colors, including yellow, pink and dark brick-red. It can be propagated by stem cuttings. This plant has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (No ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

. In terms of maintenance, if ''Justicia brandegeeana'' is not kept well trimmed it can become a messy shrub. Also, if left alone can grow over 24 inches tall. It therefore requires trimming back annually if it is to hold its shape and retain a desirable size. This shrub is expected to last for 10 to 20 years. Justicia brandegeeana 2015-05-29 OB 228.jpg Image:Madeira, Palheiro Gardens - Justicia brandegeeana IMG 2319.JPG Image:Mexican shrimp plant or shrimp plant or false hop -- Justicia brandegeeana.jpg Image:JusticiaBrandegeana.jpg

References

USDA Plant Profile: ''Justicia brandegeeana''NCBI 138115
2002-08-21

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3303690 brandegeeana Plants described in 1969 Flora of Guatemala Flora of Honduras Flora of Mexico House plants