Cardinals guard

Description

Pachystachys coccinea, the Cardinals guard, is a perennial evergreen shrub native to French Guiana, Brazil, and Peru It has ovate to elliptic dark leaves and red flowers on terminal spikes, and can grow to be two to six feet tall, though cultivated plants tend to be shorter. The genus name Pachystachys is derived from the Greek for thick spike in reference to the flowering spikes. The species name coccinea is derived from the Latin for scarlet in reference to the deep red flowers. Pachystachys is a genus of 12 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, native to rainforest in the Caribbean and Central and South America. They are evergreen perennials and shrubs bearing prominent terminal spikes of flowers with brightly coloured bracts. The name Pachystachys comes from the Greek for "thick spike", referring to the flower heads. The genus is closely related to Justicia. The species P. coccinea, P. lutea and P. spicata are found in cultivation. They can be grown outside in subtropical gardens in areas where the temperature does not fall below 10 °C (50 °F). Elsewhere, they can be grown under glass or as houseplants.