Mexican honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera) is a gorgeous flowering perennial shrub with spectacular tubular orange flowers. This near native is a great choice for sunny areas and requires little additional watering.
The flowers are a magnet for hummingbirds, and the foliage is a rich medium green. Leaves are large and lush, about 2 inches long and oval in shape. The plant is evergreen, and I have found that it usually blooms both in the spring and the fall in my garden. It also blooms in the summer, depending on its placement. In general, spots that are sunny year round encourage blooming in the warmer months, while spots that are in winter sun lead to winter blooms.
The plant is evergreen, so it doesn’t lose foliage even in the height of summer or the frosts of winter. It does like sun, but will require supplemental watering in the hottest driest months. It grows to about 5 feet high in ideal conditions but usually stays around 3-4 feet. Avoid planting it in shade, as it will become sparse and leggy and won’t flower.
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It is a pretty good container plant, although it will require more watering and some fertilizing. Make sure you choose a large container, since it will eventually want to be fairly big. It is native to Mexico, so it also needs a fairly warm place, as it can be damaged at around 25 F. Additional organic mulch in the fall can keep the roots safe from freezing. It does not like to have its feet wet, however, so be sparse with the mulching at other times of the year.
The plant can be propagated by division of its root ball, with plant cuttings and by layering.
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