For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Impela (Justicia flava)
Family Acanthaceae
This is an interesting species of Justicia and a member of the broad Acanthaceae family of plants. Its natural habitat includes India and tropical east Africa. It is sometimes called the white shrimp plant or squirrel's tail.
Its blooms are held in slim upright spires and are comprised of papery, green-veined white bracts enclosing pale pink flowers. It is very effective grown with white-variegated foliage plants nearby.
It grows to around 1 m in height. It needs to be cut back hard in late winter and tip-pruned as it grows through spring and early summer, to promote a compact shape, otherwise it can become leggy. It grows well in part shade and can tolerate dry soil.
