Jacobina carnea

[gyuseppe]

Jacobina carnea

this species is no much cultivated in Italy, is widespread in the U.S.?, and highly resistant to frost lightweight , these plants were made by seed 15 years ago!

[bahia]

It is actually fairly common in California, anyway, where it is known as Justicia carnea. I've got several different forms of the plant, a white flowering form that is more prone to snail attacks, and a deeper green foliaged form with a deep purple underside to the leaves and purplish bracts, first sold as Justicia carnea 'Huntington Form' when introduced about 10 or so years ago. They are relatively frost tolerant as far as Justicia species go, and can come back from the roots if frozen in a bad freeze, probably root hardy to at least -5C/24F. Super easy to propagate from cuttings, and they can get 6 feet tall here, or be kept at a more manageable 3 foot height, and bloom at least 10 months out of the year if well fertilized. If you like Justicia species, you should also check out Justicia rizzinii, Justicia aurea(not as hardy), Justicia fulvicoma, Justicia brandegeana in all its various color forms, and our native J. californica, and J. spicigera and J. leonardii. These all are fairly easy to grow here in coastal California, and if you don't freeze in winter, the J. aurea can be in full bloom on 8 foot tall shrubs all through the winter, with the J. rizzinii also a good winter bloomer that does very well in quite deep shade at the San Marino Huntington Botanic Garden, but only seems to bloom well here in San Francisco if it gets more sun and lots of feeding in the late summer/fall to encourage it to set buds.

[MattyB]

I grow that plant. It's fun, but not in the sun.

[mnorell]

This one grows beautifully here sun or shade, and though it will frost-burn under open sky, if grown under heavy canopy it can stay evergreen through long freezes to about 23F before showing freeze-damage of any kind. It is not quite as top-hardy in the open as Justicia brandegeana, the common shrimp-plant, but it is amazingly hardy for such a tropical-looking plant! Not enough good things to say about this one, which is fairly popular in the Gulf South, even if not used as much as it should be. Totally root-hardy here and a real asset to tropical-style gardeners in this region.

[gyuseppe]

Thanks to all of for the info, and a beautiful plant, but nurseries do not sell it, only we collectors have this species

[mnorell]

Gyuseppe--

Do you know how easy these plants are to propagate from cuttings? Take a section or tip 10cm or longer, remove all but the top two (small) leaves, "rough up" (abrade) the lower stem's outer tissue a little bit, and place in any kind of moist soil in a shady place when weather is fairly warm. You will have rooted plants very quickly! You don't need to use rooting-hormone, but it might make it happen more quickly. You can make this wonderful plant popular in Italy very quickly in this fashion!! The same goes for all in the Justicia/Jacobinia group, and many genera in the Acanthaceae for that matter. I was in Roma, Napoli and Capri a few months ago and never saw any of these, I think you are very right that they need to be popularized there!

[gyuseppe]

I think you are very right that they need to be popularized there!

yes many plants or given to my friends.

the seeds that fall to the ground, leading to new plant

bahia -demand:your plants produce seeds?

Edited October 10, 2009 by gyuseppe

[bahia]

Sorry Gyuseppe,

I can't say that I have ever seen any seed on any of the various Justicia species that I have in my garden, even though I do see plenty of hummingbirds visiting them, none ever seem to set seed. As has been said, almost all of the various Justicia species are exceedingly easy from cuttings, and that is how I increase them, but mostly I buy new ones from the wholesale nurseries, as most all of these are readily available here, with the exception of the Justicia fulvicoma, which I have only ever seen offered for sale through the nearby University of California at Berkeley Botanic Garden, where I bought mine. You might look into ordering on line from a California nursery such as Kartuz Greenhouses in Vista, California, I think he does ship international orders, and would have nearly all of the various Justicia species I mentioned.

I wonder if there might not also be a European nursery that would have some of these species, I'd think that some of the Dutch or English growers or maybe German would have some of these, where they would mostly be growing them as summer outdoors or cool greenhouse in winter sorts of plants.

Good luck finding a source for these, wish I could offer seed, but I don't have any, as we must be missing the right pollinators, or the ambient temperatures are suitable for setting seed.

[peachy]

I have these growing too. Have to keep them in shade here, the sun is just too fierce for them. Mine dont flower particularly well however, for reasons I am yet to fathom. They are well fed and watered but just wont do their stuff. They are easy to propagate from cuttings, I just dip the fresh end in a bit of honey then stick it in a pot with good potting mix and most of them take. I think Guyseppe will have to find one and attack it with the secateurs.

Peachy

[gyuseppe]

bahia :

Sorry Gyuseppe,

no problem for the seed, thanks to you!

[SFloridacollector]

I have these growing too. Have to keep them in shade here, the sun is just too fierce for them. Mine dont flower particularly well however, for reasons I am yet to fathom. They are well fed and watered but just wont do their stuff. They are easy to propagate from cuttings, I just dip the fresh end in a bit of honey then stick it in a pot with good potting mix and most of them take. I think Guyseppe will have to find one and attack it with the secateurs.

Peachy

I've never heard of rooting cuttings with honey. Sounds interesting.

[Sandy Loam]

This is an old PalmTalk thread but I am bringing it back to life.

I have had Justicia Carnea "Jacobina Pink" in the ground for less than a year (four small ones), but none have bloomed. They are planted in full shade. Is this the reason why they have not bloomed or is it because they must grow to a certain size before blooming? They are still small. Could there be another reason why they are not blooming?

Thanks you.

[SubTropicRay]

Justicia spicigera "Sidicaro" has grown very well in my garden for years.

[Cikas]

They are very common plants here in Dubrovnik. Almost every garden have at least one.

I have few of them in pots outdoors.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Cikas

[Palm crazy]

I used to see them for sale here a long time ago and the pink ones are pretty hardy. It would die back every winter and regrow in spring and flower in summer. Mine was in full sun. Mine only lasted 3-4 years in the ground after a cold winter took it out for good. Love to try one again. Only grew 2’ tall for me. LOL. Pink one might be root hardy to 9a I think.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Palm crazy

[Palm crazy]

Actually I think Justicia carnea is root hardy to 8b.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Palm crazy

[gyuseppe]

They are very common plants here in Dubrovnik. Almost every garden have at least one.

I have few of them in pots outdoors.

but here no one has these in garden

[Sandy Loam]

As an update a few years later, my JUSTICIA CARNEA have bloomed every year (in deep shade), but their blooms always seem to be rather short-lived.  They spend 11 months of the year without blooms, at least in my deep shade.  On the upside, they have been incredibly cold-hardy and evergreen for me.  In January 2018, we had the worst freeze in eight years.  Despite this, the JUSTICIA CARNEA were totally unaffected.

I also have JUSTICIA BRANDEGIANA and it has been cold-hardy for me too.  However, it is very floppy and droopy in form and the blooms are not very significant.

I have just ordered JUSTICIA AUREA and am hoping that it will be evergreen in my climate too.  I normally don't get below 26 or 27 Fahrenheit in winter on the very coldest night of the year.  However, this past January, we hit 23 or 24 degrees Fahrenheit.  Several years ago, we hit 18 degrees, but that was apparently the coldest temperature in many, many years.  I don't know how JUSTICIA AUREA will hold up under those conditions.  Does anyone know?  Are there PalmTalkers out there who have experience with this plant?

Thanks. 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

7 minutes ago, Sandy Loam said:

As an update a few years later, my JUSTICIA CARNEA have bloomed every year (in deep shade), but their blooms always seem to be rather short-lived.  They spend 11 months of the year without blooms, at least in my deep shade.  On the upside, they have been incredibly cold-hardy and evergreen for me.  In January 2018, we had the worst freeze in eight years.  Despite this, the JUSTICIA CARNEA were totally unaffected.

I also have JUSTICIA BRANDEGIANA and it has been cold-hardy for me too.  However, it is very floppy and droopy in form and the blooms are not very significant.

I have just ordered JUSTICIA AUREA and am hoping that it will be evergreen in my climate too.  I normally don't get below 26 or 27 Fahrenheit in winter on the very coldest night of the year.  However, this past January, we hit 23 or 24 degrees Fahrenheit.  Several years ago, we hit 18 degrees, but that was apparently the coldest temperature in many, many years.  I don't know how JUSTICIA AUREA will hold up under those conditions.  Does anyone know?  Are there PalmTalkers out there who have experience with this plant?

Thanks. 

 

Hardiness and overall growth / flowering of J. aurea is about the same as J. carnea and the white flowered var. of that species.  Short "shelf life " of individual flowers is pretty typical of the Genus. 

[gyuseppe]

luckily they're still alive!