🇵🇪 Habitat and Ecology
Pachystachys lutea, commonly known as the Golden Shrimp Plant or Lollipop Plant, is a subtropical evergreen shrub native to Peru and extending into Northern Brazil. It thrives in the wet tropical biome, typically found in the understory of lowland rainforests and along riverbanks where it enjoys consistent moisture and warmth. It has become naturalized in various other tropical regions, including parts of Central America and the Caribbean, due to its popularity as an ornamental.
🍤 Description and Distinguishing Features
This plant is an evergreen perennial shrub (often grown as a sub-shrub in cultivation) that typically reaches heights of 0.5 to 1.5 metres (2-5 feet), though often kept smaller in containers.
Foliage: The leaves are opposite, lanceolate to elliptic, and a deep, glossy green. They are heavily veined and can grow up to 15 cm long, providing a lush backdrop for the blooms.
Flowers (Morphology): The plant is defined by its spectacular terminal spikes (10-15 cm long) composed of bright golden-yellow, heart-shaped bracts arranged in four rows, resembling the segmented shell of a shrimp or a coarse candle. The actual flowers are short-lived, tubular, two-lipped white blossoms that emerge sequentially from between the yellow bracts.
Ethnobotany: In traditional medicine, particularly among the Mishing tribe of Assam (where it is introduced), the roots have been used to treat pneumonia. In other regions, it has folkloric uses for treating fever, coughs, colds, and headaches.
Differentiation: Pachystachys lutea is often confused with Justicia brandegeeana (Mexican Shrimp Plant) and Pachystachys coccinea.
Versus P. coccinea: P. coccinea (Cardinal's Guard) features green bracts with vivid scarlet-red flowers, whereas P. lutea has golden-yellow bracts with white flowers.
Versus Justicia brandegeeana: The Mexican Shrimp Plant has softer, often drooping bracts that are typically salmon, rusty-red, or pale pink, rather than the stiff, upright, bright gold spikes of P. lutea.
💧 Cultivation and Care
Pachystachys lutea is a warm-growing tropical plant that requires high humidity and consistent moisture to prevent leaf drop.
Light: Requires bright, filtered light to full sun (in milder climates). Indoors, it needs a bright sunny window to flower profusely; insufficient light leads to leggy growth and few blooms.
Substrate: Use a rich, fertile, and well-draining potting mix that is slightly acidic. A blend of loam, peat, and perlite is ideal to retain moisture without waterlogging.
Watering: Keep the soil evenly moist during the active growing season (spring/summer). Do not allow the soil to dry out completely, as this causes leaf droop and loss. Reduce watering slightly in winter.
Temperature:
Optimal Daytime Temperature: 20-28 C (68-82 F).
Minimum Winter Temperature: Not below 10-15 (50-59. F); it is extremely frost-tender and will drop leaves if temperatures dip too low.
Humidity: High humidity is essential. Regular misting or a humidity tray is recommended in dry indoor environments.
✨ Unique Features
This plant is a collector's favourite for its long-lasting, architectural yellow spikes that provide a bold splash of colour year-round in tropical conditions (or summer in temperate zones). Its distinctive "shrimp-like" bracts make it a conversation piece, and it is a known attractor of hummingbirds and butterflies due to the nectar in its white tubular flowers.
🏷️ Specifications
Plant Size: Divisions from our stock plant
Plant Family: Acanthaceae
Plant Passport: A Pachystachys lutea B 140084 C [buyer to use number of the plant label] D GB
