Beleperone Guttata - Plant

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 years. 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

*above specification are indicative only. actual dimensions may vary by +-10%

• 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

It should be given plenty of water when flowering, and good drainage is absolutely necessary. It likes a warm, moist temperature which should not be lower than 55 degrees. In summer your shrimp can enjoy a vacation in the garden and continue to bloom. You may sink it, pot and all to the rim, in a sunny location. From time to time the pot should be rotated so roots will not go through the drainage hole and become embedded in the soil. In the fall, take up the pot, cut the plant back and re-pot it. Or perhaps you will have a supply of new plants and will not care to over-winter the old one. However, it will continue to bloom for several years. Beleperone Guttata careThe 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