emilycompost - Celebrating gardening, plants, and weeds

Emily (who we are)

emilycompost
Plants

Justicia brandegeeana
Shrimp plant, Shrimp bush
ACANTHACEAE

Yellow Queen This common name gives the plant away. It looks just like a shrimp.

It is one of the few plants, when grown as a houseplant, does not need any protection from the mid-day and full sun conditions. It thrives on such and is quite drought resistant. Making it a great plant for the areas of the country that have severe warm climates.

The most two popular are the bright yellow 'Yellow Queen' and the maroon colored shrimp plant.

J. brandegeeana This plant will grow in zones 9-11 and underglass (greenhouse) or as houseplants in northern climates.

The shrimp plant adds plenty of color to perennial borders and can be used as a small shrub.

J. brandegeeana Enjoyed for a long season bloom, this plant is very easy to take care of.

It can be propagated in the late spring and in the summer by semi-ripe cuttings.

Some questions from Emily's mailbox:

Q: How do you propagate shrimp plants?

A: In spring to early summer take cuttings. Just cut off a non-flowering shoot with 3-4 leaves on the end of the shoot. Cut it just below a node. The cutting should be 3-4 inches long, perhaps. Remove any leaves on the lowest third of the cutting. Insert into the potting mixture.

You can dip the base into a rooting hormone before you put in the potting mix but I'm not sure if that is necessary.

The potting mixture can be either a purchased cutting mix or half-and-half peat and perlite. Lacking those, you might try soil and perlite.

Keep humid and above 65 degrees. Remove leaves that fall off. No hot sun. No fertilizer until it is well rooted. Don't try just one, this might take a few tries.

Q: I have been given a "shrimp plant" as a houseplant. It has become very leggy...can this plant be trimmed? And, how do you get it to bloom? I have just one very tall stem, which is very thin in size, with a lot of shoots off of it, and healthy green leaves, must be at least 3 feet tall, but no flowers. Any help and tips are appreciated...thanks

A: Yes you can trim back the shrimp plant and it will hopefully become bushier.
Give it more light if possible.

Getting it to bloom is always difficult when a plant is not in its normal habitat. But it can happen.

After you trim the plant and it is acclimated to the trim and maybe some better light, I would then use a fertilizer that has a higher middle number. Such as 10-60-10. I believe Shultz has one on the market.

Blooming probably will take place during the growing season like now.

All house plants shut down or slow down a little during the winter months because of the shorten days and they need a dormancy period. I would not force anything at this point. Especially since the shrimp plant in its habitat blooms in the summer naturally and normally.

Q: I have planted 2 Yellow Queen Shrimp plants, one on either side of my porch. I'm brand new at planting perennials and tried to purchase as many interesting or more unusual plants, they all seem to be doing quite fine except the Yellow Queen. The leaves and flowers are turning a brown and the leaves droop. They don't have that shiny leaf look and the flowers are tinged. What might I be doing wrong? I would hate to loose them

A: The yellow shrimp plant is a hybrid, and with its thin leaves, it may be taking more time to 'adjust' or acclimate to its new surroundings. Mist and water well. Snip, cut, or prune off the dead and brown shriveled leaves etc.

Mulch well , no more than 3 inches of mulch.

It should do well in full sun.

Make sure there is good drainage where you planted it.

Hope it does better

[back to Plants of the Week]