Justicia

( juss - TISS - ee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Justicia is a genus filled with species of evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous shrubs that vary widely in water and sunlight needs. Common names vary widely by species. Their flowers will attract hummingbirds to the garden in droves. These shrubs produce long, tubular blooms in clusters, and in some species they can produce a light, tropical fragrance. Flowers bloom throughout the year with the heaviest shows in summer and fall. Use Justicia flowers as colorful accents in mixed beds and borders, as members of pollinator gardens or container gardens, or as fillers in xeriscape or tropical garden designs.

Justicia Species and Varietals

The genus Justicia includes over 900 species and is the largest genus in the plant family Acanthaceae. Species in this genus are closely related to those in Ruellia, Dicliptera, and Peristrophe. The genus was named for Scottish horticulturist James Justice. The best growing zones for Justicia vary by species, so refer to the descriptions below for more information. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Justicia adhatoda (Malabar Nut, Adulsa, Adathoda, Vasa, Vasaka, वसाका, Adusa, अडूसा)
This species is known in traditional medicine circles in its native range (Asia). Leaves and roots are primarily used as an expectorant. It is also a popular ornamental garden plant because its bitter-tasting foliage is avoided by grazing goats (Adathoda translates to 'untouched by goats'). These plants grow well in USDA hardiness zones 9-11. Flowers are white with pink markings at their throats, and bloom in dense inflorescences. They are followed by fuzzy fruits. These plants are considered invasive in degraded arid lands of India as well as in Ethiopia, Madagascar, Cuba, Jamaica, China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Italy, and Cyprus.

Justicia alpina (Alpine Justicia, Alpine Water-Willow)
This species is endemic to Peru. Plants produce green leaves and purple to blue-purple flowers with light markings towards their throats are held along stems in spring and summertime. Individual plants can reach up to just under 20 inches tall at maturity. Flowers are fragrance-free. Best in USDA zones 8-11.

Justicia aurea (Yellow Jacobinia, Golden Plume, Yellow Justicia)
These shrubs are native to Mexico and Central America, as far south as Panama. They produce large, herbaceous leaves and dense inflorescences of golden-yellow tubular flowers. Cultivar 'Yellow Jack' is a choice garden ornamental, reaching up to 4-8 feet tall, and 'Compacta' is a naturally smaller selection to 2-2.5 feet tall that is great for containers or small urban garden spaces. Yellow Jacobinia does well in USDA hardiness zones 8-11.

Justicia brandegeeana (Beloperone guttata) (Shrimp Plant, Mexican Shrimp Plant, False Hop)
This evergreen plant derives its common name from the shape of its flowers, which resemble shrimps. It grows best in USDA hardiness zones 9-11 or Sunset growing zones 12, 13, 15-17, 21-24, H1 and H2 and is native to Mexico. Individual plans reach up to 3-4 feet tall and wide. Green leaves; purplish-pink flowers with white spots are enclosed in overlapping bracts that form spikes. Blooms are present from spring to fall, and sporadically throughout the rest of the year. This species is considered invasive in Florida, South Carolina, and Texas in the United States and Colombia. Popular garden cultivars are listed and described below:

'Fruit Cocktail'
With compact, overlapping yellow bracts tipped with pink. 2-3 feet wide and tall.

'Pink' ('Pink Princess')
Soft rose to pink flowers with light red bracts. Weeping habit to 3-4 feet tall and wide. Good for hanging baskets.

'Yellow Queen'
Classic variety with crimson red or bright yellow-chartreuse bracts. To 2-3 feet tall and wide.

'Variegata'
Green and white foliage add interest even when the plant is not blooming. To 2-3 feet tall and wide.

Justicia californica (Chuparosa, California Beloperone, Hummingbird Bush)
This species is semi-evergreen or deciduous, and grows best in USDA hardiness zones 8-11 or Sunset growing zones 10-14 and 18-24. It is native to the California and Colorado deserts as well as regions of Arizona and Northern Mexico. Individual plants reach 6 feet tall and wide with grayish, arching branches and light green leaves. Clusters of bright red flowers bloom from fall through spring. Needs full sun or light shade and little to moderate water to perform well.

Justicia carnea (Jacobinia carnea) (Brazilian Plume, Flamingo Flower, Jacobinia, Brazilian Plume Flower, Blood Leaf, Hospital Too Far)
This evergreen shrub grows best in USDA hardiness zones 8b-11 or Sunset growing zones 8, 9, 13-24, H1 and H2 and is native to South America. It can grow to 4-6 feet tall and 3 feet wide at maturity. Medium green leaves form a backdrop for dense clusters of pink to crimson flowers from mid-summer to fall. These shrubs should be cut back in early spring to encourage strong new growth. Needs partial or full shade, nutrient-rich soil and regular to ample water.

Justicia cooleyi (Cooley's Water-Willow, Cooley's Justicia)
This rare species of Justicia is native to Florida in the United States and is considered to be federally endangered. It forms a perennial herbaceous plant that sprouts from an underground rhizome and has hairy leaves. Its main threat is habitat destruction due to human development and mining. Individual plants reach up to between 6 and 16 inches tall.

Justicia floribunda (Justicia rizzinii) (Brazilian Fuchsia, Firecracker Flower, Firefly, Jacobinia)
This species is native to Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. It forms a dwarf, rounded shrub with downy stems and foliage, and produces spikes of nodding, tubular bicolored flowers. Blooms are yellow and shade to scarlet towards their bases. To 3-4 feet tall and wide at maturity; grows best in USDA hardiness zones 9-11 or Sunset growing zones 8, 9, 12-24, H1 and H2.

Justicia gendarussa (Willow-Leaved Justicia, Gandarusa, Water Willow, Dan Rusa, Kala Adulsa, Karunochchi)
This species is native to the Indian subcontinent, and forms a small, erect, branched shrub with green leaves and black-purple stems. It does well in USDA hardiness zones 9 and 10. Flowers are white to light pink and have purple to pink-reddish markings towards their throats. Plants reach up to 3-5 feet tall at maturity. Cultivar 'Variegata' (pictured) produces leaves with green and white foliage. This species is considered invasive in Rodrigues, Mauritius, La Reunion, and the Seychelles.

Justicia pilosella (Siphonoglossa pilosella, Monechma pilosella) (Hairy Tube-Tongue, Gregg's Tube Tongue, False Honeysuckle)
This species is native to New Mexico, Texas, and east-central Mexico and grows well in USDA hardiness zones 8-10. It forms a perennial herbaceous plant that reaches up to 12 inches tall. Flowers are blue-purple to pink-purple with white centers. They typically found growing in clearings and along the edges of forest landscapes in rocky or gravelly soils.

Justicia purpusii (Purpus' Hummingbird Flower, Chuparosa)
These shrubs produce tubular, bicolored orange and red flowers that bloom from November through April in the plant's native range. They can reach up to 1-4 feet tall and 1-3 feet wide at maturity. Purpus' Hummingbird Flower is endemic to Baja California Sur, Mexico and grows well in USDA hardiness zones 9-11.

Justicia spicigera (Mexican Honeysuckle, Firecracker Bush, Mototle, Moyotli, Muicle, Trompetilla, Yaxan, Ych-Kaan)
This species grows best in USDA hardiness zones 8-11 or Sunset growing zones 12-24 and is native to Mexico and Central America. Individual shrublets reach 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Leaves can be velvety or smooth, and they are usually light green. Flowers bloom year-round (peaking in spring and fall), and are deep orange. Needs full sun or partial shade, and little to regular water. Tea can be made by steeping the leaves of these plants. This species is considered highly invasive across the islands of Hawai'i.

Caring for Justicia

Plant Justicia in a space in the landscape that receives full sun to partial shade; ideally, they appreciate between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day for the best blooms and overall growth. When they are grown in lower light, they will not flower as profusely and can become leggy. In warmer climates, provide with some afternoon shade when temperatures are at their peak. Ensure that soil is well-draining, rich in nutrients, and has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, these plants vary greatly in their water needs. Some species are xeric plants that can do well in simple deep waterings during extended periods of drought, and others are water plants that need consistent high moisture around their roots. See the species descriptions above for more growing information.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season, and remove spent flower spikes to neaten up the appearance of plants and encourage reblooms. Pinch back plants to encourage a bushier habit. Justicia flowers can survive for a few decades in the garden with proper care before they need to be replaced. In areas with cool winters, they are treated as annuals, pulled and composted at the end of the growing season and replaced in the next.

Caring for Justicia in Containers
Justicia flowering subshrubs are wonderful in the ground, but can also be grown in containers; growing warm-weather loving Justicia in pots can allow for gardeners in cooler climates to move them into a sheltered location over winter. Choose a container that is at least a few inches wider and deeper than the nursery pot or root ball. Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage holes on the bottom to allow for excess water to flow away. Fill with a well-draining potting mix amended with organic material and perlite, and top with a layer of mulch to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water regularly as the plant establishes itself in its new home. Once established, waterings can be lessened. These plants grown in containers will need more frequent irrigation than those grown in the ground. As a general rule of thumb, water whenever the top few inches of soil feels dry to the touch. Prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any time during the growing season. Every few years, check the bottom of the pot to ensure that the plant is not outgrowing its root space. If roots are growing through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container, it is a good indication that it needs to be potted up; choose a slightly larger container and repot.

Propagation

Justicia can be propagated by using cuttings. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Justicia by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. A good substrate for propagation of cuttings is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
In spring, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 4 inch softwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new Justicia.

Problems and Pests

Certain Justicia species are considered invasive in some regions; see the species descriptions above for more information. Check with local authorities before planting. Justicia shrubs are susceptible to issues with the following diseases and pests in the landscape: