Description
Beleperone Guttata is one of sixty tropical evergreen shrubs from central America that belong to the family Acanthaceae. The name comes from the Greek: an arrow, and perone: a bond
Justicia brandegeeana is a perennial shrub and will last for several yea It has become a quite common indoor plant. It is popularly known as Shrimp Plant because of its drooping, shrimp-like flower spikes.
The most prominent parts of these spikes are terminal bracts, which are heart-shaped, reddish brown or pink and up to 2 cm (0.8 inches) long. The bracts almost conceal white flowers that protrude from between them. The 10-13 cm (4-5 inch) long flower spikes are produced continuously during the growing season, which lasts for as much as 10 months a year.Plant Specifications
| Common Name | Mexican Shrimp Plant, Shrimp Plant, Shrimp Flower, False Hop. |
| Maximum Reachable Height | 2 feet |
| Flower Colour | Orange or dark red bracts with white flower |
| Bloom Time | From spring until frost |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
Planting and care
Beleperone Guttata care
The shrimp is grown primarily for its flower heads producing a profusion of overlapping floral bracts, tipped with small white flowers with purple-spots, each having two slender petals and long yellow stamens, amid bright green leaves.
The chief effect is made by the long-lasting, unique flower bracts. The flowers last only a few days but the flower heads last for a long period of time. This makes the plant to appear in bloom all year round.
| Sunlight | Plenty of bright light with some direct sunlight is essential for satisfactory production of the colourful bracts. When resting in winter, place the plant away from the window. |
| Watering | Water sparingly enough to make the potting mixture barely moist, and allow the top two-thirds of the mixture to dry out between watering. |
| Soil | Plant outdoors in fertile, moist, well-drained soil. It does best in well-drained sandy or loamy soil, but will tolerate most soil types which drain well. |
| Temperature | Normally warm room temperatures suit this plant, but too much heat makes for soft and spindly growth. The recommended winter temperature is 18 degrees C (64 degrees F). |
| Fertilizer | Use standard liquid fertilizer once every two weeks from late winter to early autumn only, but then cease feeding so that growth slows down. |
Beleperone Guttata uses
Ornamental Use:
- It is a highly ornamental and amenable house plant which likes plenty of light, will tolerate full sun and enjoys the company of other plants