Justicia brandegeana

Justicia brandegeana, the shrimp plant, is a subtropical evergreen shrub from Mexico, grown the world over for the curious, shrimp-like flower spikes that give the plant its name: arching, overlapping bracts in warm coppery orange, salmon, and rust, from which small white flowers peek like a shrimp's legs. The bracts hold their color for weeks, so a well-grown plant seems always in bloom.

Blooming is the point, and the shrimp plant blooms without pause. From spring through fall, and year-round where frost never comes, the arching stems carry a steady procession of the coppery spikes, all the more striking for their unusual shape and warm color. Hummingbirds and butterflies work the flowers eagerly, making the plant a fixture of warm-climate pollinator gardens.

Native to frost-free Mexico, the shrimp plant is grown as an evergreen shrub in the mild South and as a container plant or annual farther north, easily overwintered indoors or under cover. In marginal zones the plant dies back in cold and resprouts from the roots with mulch and shelter. Give full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil, and pinch the stems to keep the plant bushy and full of bloom.

Use the shrimp plant in a warm border, a tropical-style bed, a mixed container, or a pot on a sunny terrace, where the coppery spikes and hummingbird traffic can be enjoyed up close. The plant pairs well with other heat-lovers and tropical foliage, and blooms hardest with a little room and steady warmth. Cut back leggy growth to renew the display.