Japanese name: ウラムラサキ（裏紫） Scientific name:Strobilanthes dyeriana
[Overview]
An evergreen shrub 0.9–1.2 m tall.
The leaves are simple and opposite, ovate-lanceolate, 10–20 cm long and 5–7 cm wide; the upper surface is dark green with reddish-purple blotches between the veins, and the whole leaf has a silvery metallic sheen, giving an iridescent impression.
As the name indicates, the underside is dark purple.
The leaf margins are toothed.
It flowers all year round if the temperature is high enough.
Purple to pale purple flowers bloom in short spikes; the corolla is tubular with 5 lobes at the tip.
The leaf color fades during flowering.
[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings.
Keep the temperature at 10°C or higher over winter.
Low temperatures, a poorly lit site, and flowering make the leaf color worse.
It prefers a sunny, well-drained, fertile soil.
From spring to autumn, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; in winter, keep it slightly on the dry side.
From spring to autumn, apply slow-release fertilizer placed on the soil.
When the plant or its branches get old, the leaf color worsens, so from spring to autumn cut back as needed to tidy the shape and encourage new leaves.
Pests and diseases include damping-off, scale insects, spider mites and aphids.
