Shrimp Plant
A Brief Guide to the Shrimp Plant
Shrimp Plant or Justicia brandegeana is a perennial that can add a touch of the tropical to any landscape or front porch. The shrimp plant gets its name from the rust-brown colored bracts that enclose the small white flower giving an appearance of a shrimp. The leaves of the shrimp plant are oval and light green and 2-3 inches long. The bottom part of the leaves and the young stems are sometimes downy. Where the temperature is mild and constant, the shrimp plant is evergreen and produces blooms throughout the year.
The slender and twig-like stems of this plant grow to be about 3-5 feet that the plant is usually found in clumps. They tend to spread and look like a colony of bushes. The flowers which are at the tips of the branches tend to make the stems look bowed. There are cultivars of the shrimp plant which have yellow bracts, bright red bracts and there are even some with lime green bracts.
The shrimp plant is endemic to Mexico and often included in gardens with a tropical or subtropical look. This plant has become naturalized in parts of peninsular Florida. The foliage and the dramatic flowers make this an attractive and showy plant. It is fairly low maintenance in places with temperate climate and is becoming increasingly popular for that reason. In places where there are more extreme temperatures it is advisable to grow the shrimp plant in a container that can be transferred indoors during the colder months. As an outdoor plant, this species works well when incorporated in borders and mixed in with other perennials in a flower bed. They provide the look of a continuous line of color.
This plant can be grown in USDA zones 8 through 11. While it known to die when faced with a frost, it tends to recover and reappear when the weather turns warmer.
The shrimp plant needs full sun in the mornings and afternoon shade. The flowers are said to be more rich and deep in color when the plant gets plenty of sun. This plant needs fertile soil and so when growing it outdoors you should take the effort to amend the soil to a depth of 3-4 feet to help the plant adapt to its new setting. Place the plants about 2-3 feet away from each other to give them the room to grow and spread. When growing it in a container, you can use all-purpose potting mix.
It is a warm weather plant that needs a lot of water. Depending on the climatic conditions of your region you may have to water to supplement the rains or set up a regular watering routine to ensure that the soil stays moist. Good drainage is very important though because without it, the plant can develop root rot.
The best way to grow a new shrimp plant is to use stem cutting from an existing plant and plant it in spring in fresh soil. Cut a three to four inch segment from a shoot that does not have any flowers and make the cutting just below the node. Then tip the shoot in rooting hormone. Place is it in a pot and keep the soil or potting mix moist. While the shoot will need light you should avoid direct sun light. There is no need to fertilize at this stage. You can also try dividing the clumps to propagate the plant.
As part of the maintenance of the shrimp plant you should prune the bushes. This will make the plant less chaotic and increase the density of the bush itself. Pruning is also said to help the flowering. It is also recommended that you use a liquid fertilizer about one a month, preferably one meant for tropical flowering plants.
The shrimp plant is not known to be particularly vulnerable to any pest.