Persian shield

Description

Strobilanthes dyeriana, the Persian shield or royal purple plant, is a species of flowering plant in the acanthus family Acanthaceae, native to Myanmar (formerly Burma). Growing to 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and broad, it is a tropical evergreen shrub, cultivated for its dark green foliage with bright, metallic-purple stripes radiating outward from the central leaf vein. In proper conditions, it will also produce pale purple flowers. The Latin specific epithet dyeriana honours the English botanist Sir William Turner Thiselton-Dyer (1843-1928). With a minimum temperature of 10 °C (50 °F), S. dyeriana grows best in USDA Zones 10–11. In more temperate climates it is grown as a houseplant. It prefers a warm, humid position in good light. As the intense purple colour may fade with age, it is often treated as an annual. In the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Strobilanthes dyeriana is sold as a very common landscape plant due to its vibrant colors. In order to produce a high quality version of this plant, it is best to use a 200 mg*L-1*N from a complete fertilizer. Strobilanthes is a genus of about 350 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, mostly native to tropical Asia and Madagascar, but with a few species extending north into temperate regions of Asia. Many species are cultivated for their two-lipped, hooded flowers in shades of blue, pink, white and purple. Most are frost-tender and require protection in frost-prone areas. Strobilanthes atropurpurea is a temperate species, native to eastern Siberia; it is cultivated for its purple flowers. Strobilanthes dyeriana (Persian shield) is a tropical plant native to Myanmar. It is grown for its dark green foliage with bright, metallic-purple stripes radiating outward from the central leaf vein. In proper conditions, it will also produce pale purple flowers. Persian Shield grows best outdoors in USDA zones 9 and 10, although it can survive in other zones as a houseplant given sufficient temperature, soil moisture and humidity. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.