I saw Pachystachys lutea in New York in October 2021, and Justicia brandegeeana at the Los Angeles Arboretum in California in December 2021. One is a yellow shrimp flower native to Peru, and this one is a red shrimp flower native to Mexico. Numerous cultivars are available, with different flower bract colors, including yellow, pink and dark brick-red.
我2021年10月在紐約看到了金苞花，12月在加州的洛杉磯植物園看到蝦衣花。一個是原產在秘魯的黃色蝦花，而這個是原產在墨西哥的紅色蝦花。有許多品種可供選擇，有不同的花苞顏色，包括黃色、粉紅色和深磚紅色。
Photo Date: 2021.12.21 Location: LA Arboretum
Photo Date: 2020.06.16 Location: LA Arboretum
Photo Date: 2020.10.01 Location: The Huntington Library
Notes 筆記
- Justicia brandegeeana common names include the Mexican shrimp plant, shrimp plant and false hop. The genus Justicia comprising about 600 species is in the family Acanthaceae.
- Genus name honors James Justice, 18th Century Scottish horticulturist (1698-1763). Specific epithet honors American civil engineer Townsend Stith Brandegee (1843-1925) who studied plants of California and Mexico.
- It is a sprawling, suckering, tropical evergreen shrub. Features drooping arching terminal spikes (to 3-6” long) of white flowers with overlapping red to pink-bronze bracts. The bracts start out white, but with more sun exposure they turn anywhere from pale pink to deep salmon. Each flower spike somewhat resembles a large shrimp. Blooms in summer. Synonymous with Beloperone guttata.
- Numerous cultivars are available, with different flower bract colors, including yellow, pink and dark brick-red.
- Winter hardy to USDA Zones 9-11. Roots may survive in Zone 8. The shrimp plant thrives in the shade in tropical areas. It does best in well-drained sandy or loamy soil, but is generally low maintenance and drought-tolerant. Plant stems should be pruned back to shape and promote bushiness.
- The flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Pollination is usually by hummingbirds.
- This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
- 蝦衣花 (小蝦花) 的別名包括墨西哥蝦花、蝦花和假啤酒花。(註又名：狐尾木、蝦衣草)。它是爵床屬，大約有 600 個物種，屬於爵床科。
- 屬名是為了紀念 18 世紀蘇格蘭園藝家詹姆斯·賈斯蒂斯 (1698-1763)。 種小名是為了紀念研究加州和墨西哥植物的美國土木工程師 Townsend Stith Brandegee (1843-1925)。
- 它是一種蔓生、吸根、熱帶的常綠灌木。有特色的下垂拱形頂生的尖刺（長達 3-6 英寸）白色花朵，帶有重疊的紅色至粉紅色青銅色的苞片。苞片一開始是白色的，但隨著陽光的照射，它們會從淡粉色變成深鮭魚色。每個花穗有點像一隻大蝦。夏天開花。是小蝦花 (Beloperone guttata) 的代名詞。
- 有許多品種可供選擇，有不同的花苞顏色，包括黃色、粉紅色和深磚紅色。
- 冬季耐寒度適於美國農業生態區 9-11 區。根可以在第 8 區存活。蝦花在熱帶地區的陰涼處可茁壯成長。它在排水良好的沙質或肥沃土壤中生長最佳，一般來說維護成本低且耐旱。植物主幹應修剪成形以促進濃密生長。
- 蝦衣花會吸引蜂鳥和蝴蝶。通常由蜂鳥授粉。
- 蝦衣花曾獲得了皇家園藝學會的花園優異獎。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Justicia brandegeeana
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Justicia brandegeeana
Plants Posts 植物的帖子