Justicia palmeri

Description

Form: A shrub with a casual, unkempt appearance. Leaf retention: Drought-deciduous. May die to ground in freezing weather. Growth rate: Moderate to fast depending on water. Mature Size: 3-5' high and wide. Flowers: Red, orange, or yellow, to 1.5" long, tubular, small flared upper lip, narrow three-lobed lower lip, edible. Bloom: Winter into spring. Fruit: Seed capsule. Leaves: Green, ovate to heart-shaped, often dropped during drought. Stems: No thorns. Blue-green, thick like a succulent, arching, sprawling. May get woody at bottom with age. Roots: Spreads by rhizomes. Wildlife: Attracts hummingbirds and birds. Toxic / Danger: No. Origin: California, Arizona, Mexico.