Strobilanthes auriculatus
Persian Shield · Coleus · Purple Shield · Painter's plant
Care Guide
💧 Water
☀️ Light Partial sun
Strobilanthes auriculatus is indigenous to habitats such as forest understories and rocky areas, where it grows in natural shade. It favors partial sun but can tolerate full sun or full shade, reflecting its hardy, adaptable nature.
🌡️ Temperature 20–37.8°C
Strobilanthes auriculatus originates from tropical regions, where the climate is characteristically warm and humid. Consequently, it is well adapted to high temperatures and humidity. It does not tolerate sudden temperature fluctuations and prefers a steady thermal environment, so indoor temperature swings should be avoided. It generally cannot withstand cold and requires elevated temperatures for growth; if the environmental temperature falls too low, the plant may stop growing or even die.
💨 Humidity
🪴 Soil 6-7
🌱 Fertilizer
Early spring, as Strobilanthes auriculatus breaks dormancy, is the best time to apply fertilizer. This encourages overall growth and flower formation. Fertilization improves the foliage, stems, and branches, while encouraging larger, more colorful, and longer-lasting blooms. It helps transport nutrients from the roots to the flowers and enhances the plant’s health and resistance to disease.
🪴 Pot & Repot
✂️ Pruning
🌿 Propagating
🐛 Diseases & pets
☠️ Toxicity
Characteristics
- Plant Type
- Shrub
- Life Cycle
- Perennial
- Genus
- Strobilanthes
- Family
- Acanthaceae
- Hardiness Zone
- 9-11
- Mature Height
- 0.91 m to 2.13 m
- Mature Spread
- 49 cm to 91 cm
- Leaf Color
- Green, Dark Green
- Leaf Type
- Evergreen
- Flower Color
- Purple, Violet
- Flower Size
- 2.03 cm to 3.05 cm
- Bloom Time
- Late summer, Early fall, Mid fall
- Planting Time
- Spring, Summer, Autumn
- Harvest Time
- Mid fall, Late fall, Early winter
- Native Area
- Nepal, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Laos, Thailand, China