Justicia brandegeeana (Mexican shrimp plant, "Koebiso")

Japanese name: コエビソウ （小海老草）
Scientific name: Justicia brandegeeana

[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 1 m tall and 60–90 cm wide.
The stems are green and slender, and branch well to form a dense plant.
Leaves are simple and opposite, ovate, 3–8 cm long and 2–4 cm wide, covered all over with soft hairs.
The leaf margins are entire.
It flowers all year round when the temperature is 15°C or higher, and flowering may continue for several months.
Spike-like inflorescences 7–10 cm long hang down from the stem tips.
The inflorescence bears overlapping heart-shaped bracts 2.5 cm long; young bracts are pale green and gradually turn reddish brown.
The flowers are white and two-lipped, and protrude from the bracts.

[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
Cut pieces with two nodes each and insert them, and they root easily.
Although tropical, it is cold-tolerant and can overwinter at about 3°C, so in regions without frost or freezing it overwinters in the open ground.
It prefers full sun to partial shade and fertile, well-drained soil.
In poor light it becomes leggy and flowers poorly.
Direct summer sun may scorch the leaves.
For potted plants, water thoroughly from spring to autumn when the soil surface dries, and keep it on the dry side in winter.
For plants in the ground, watering is unnecessary unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
Less fertilizer keeps the plant compact, so apply liquid fertilizer about once every 2 weeks from spring to autumn.
Pests and diseases include scale insects and spider mites.

[Notes]
The overlapping reddish-brown bracts resemble shrimp, hence the name.

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