Brazilian Plume

Brazilian Plume Flower - Justicia carnea ‘Huntington’

 

Brazilian Plume Flowers are a perennial bush in most areas and can grow over 6 feet tall.  The flower clusters look like purple pine cones studded with pink jelly beans when they first bud up.

Hummingbirds will defend these against all others attempting to come take a sip!! 

If they freeze to ground level, they will come back up quickly if covered with a deep layer of protective mulch first.  They can take sun, but do better in partial shade so the leaves get huge and deep purple.

 

These are well rooted and fast growing plants from four to eight inches in height.  After getting them thoroughly wet, gently tap them out of the tube they are growing in.  DO NOT pull on the plant to remove it unless you must.  Slide something long, such as a thin knife down alongside the tube to assist in pulling it out if necessary or  insert something into the end to loosen the roots and push the plant out.  If it should break while doing this, do not throw it away!  New shoots will come up from the root base and any portion of the top that breaks can be rooted directly into moist soil.  Just trim the leaves and cover the cuttings with a moist paper towel and keep it moist.  Or cover the cuttings with thin plastic to make like a tiny greenhouse until they root.  There are lots of YouTube videos on how to make and trim a cutting for rooting plants.

 

Once you have removed your plants from their tubes, plant in rich potting soil and keep moist but not wet.  If they are too wet, they could rot.  But they also do not want to get dry.

Once established and you can tell it has begun to grow, provide morning or

late afternoon sunshine to encourage blooms. 

They can be planted in full sunshine, but the leaves will not be as large nor as purple. 

Once transplanted into ground, it is best to keep roots and base of plant in shade.  If you are going to grow them out in the full sun, a good root system is going to be a must.

For the best results, feed every two weeks from springtime to late fall.

In mild winter zones such as 9b and above, they can be blooming year round!

Snap off spent flowers to encourage bushy growth and new blooms.

They also have a truly remarkable ability to revive from wilting.  Just water well and get all of the leaves wet and the leaves will come right back up by the next day.