Brazilian fuchsia

Description

Justicia floribunda is a species of flowering plant in the acanthus family Acanthaceae, native to Brazil. It is a dwarf, rounded evergreen shrub growing to 30–60 cm (12–24 in) tall and wide, with downy stems and leaves, and spikes of nodding, tubular flowers of yellow shading to scarlet at the base. Each pair of leaves has one leaf smaller than the other. It requires a frost-free environment, so is often grown under glass in temperate regions. Despite its common name Brazilian fuchsia, it is not closely related to the true fuchsias. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. They are evergreen perennials and shrubs with leaves which are often strongly veined; but they are primarily cultivated for their showy tubular flowers in shades of white, cream, yellow, orange, violet or pink. Excepting Justicia americana L., they are not hardy below 7 °C (45 °F), so may be grown under glass in frost-prone areas. Justicia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae. It is the largest genus within the family, encompassing around 700 species with hundreds more as yet unresolved. They are native to tropical to warm temperate regions of the Americas, India and Africa. The genus serves as host to many butterfly species, such as Anartia fatima. Common names include water-willow and shrimp plant, the latter from the inflorescences, which resemble a shrimp in some species. The generic name honours Scottish horticulturist James Justice (1698–1763). They are closely related to Pachystachys. They are evergreen perennials and shrubs with leaves which are often strongly veined; but they are primarily cultivated for their showy tubular flowers in shades of white, cream, yellow, orange, violet or pink. Excepting Justicia americana L., they are not hardy below 7 °C (45 °F), so may be grown under glass in frost-prone areas.