Orange Flame Justicia ''Orange Flame''

I got this as a 1 gal. plant and it grew to 5’ in one season. Would grow taller but I prune it. Planted inground, full brutal sun, am...Read Moreended clay soil, gets hit by sprinkler. Once it starts flowering it never stops. My plant has never wilted from extreme hot temperature so very tough. It may take 1-2 seasons for it to be this floriferous. My shrub dies to the ground in z9a, but it come back quickly in spring. Nice, showy plant.

I love this plant. Picked one up at a plant show about 5 years back and it has really taken off. Performs well from cuttings, though you ...Read Morewouldn't know it at first. The stem will look like it completely dead, then all of a sudden you'll notice new growth coming from the bottom nodes beneath the soil line. Can't say that I have tried to grow from seed but considering the amount of pods that my plant has produced with the lack of baby plants popping up anywhere, I would just go with vegetative propagation.

One thing of note, the height in the description is not the height that my plant is at. Mine has reached about 9 feet tall. It is a very impressive monster of an Orange Justicia and I couldn't be happier. When it is in full bloom at that size, it is stunning. Bees love it, hummingbirds go insane on it and there isn't a day that goes by where someone doesn't stop me to ask what kind of plant it is.

I could easily see this functioning as a screen in my zone. The worst freeze damage I have gotten here (20F for a couple of nights) has been blackened edges at the new growth.

I planted this two years ago in a suburb of Houston, and it grew well but didn't bloom year round as described. This year the plants are ...Read Moregrowing like crazy but the flowers are not fully opening and look deformed. Can anyone give me some idea what might be happening. My other justicia varieties are doing well and blooming beautifully.