Anastasia Abboud
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Garden Warrior
Be like the flower, turn your face to the sun.
​-- Gibran Khalil Gibran

The Hedge: Red Shrimp Plant

11/8/2022

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Justicia brandegeeana, also known as Red Shrimp Plant and Mexican Shrimp Plant, is a member of the Acanthaceae family. Native to Mexico and Central America, it has made itself at home along the Gulf Coast. It's a sprawling, tropical plant that dies to the ground in cold winters, but dependably pops back up in the spring. With the right conditions, it can be a bit aggressive. It grows large and suckers, but I know from experience that it can be effectively pulled or dug up. 

It usually starts blooming by midsummer, but this year, in our garden, it didn't really get going until October. I can't say that I mind. Better late than never! The flowers are cute and often very much resemble shrimp, hence the common name. It comes in other colors, a popular and common option being yellow. There's a fairly new cultivar from Florida that I'd like to get my hands on. It's called Shrimp Fruit Cocktail and is sort of yellow-green (chartreuse) and pink. But I digress... In short, I like all the varieties, but the red looks really nice this time of year. 

If you have hot summers, mild winters, and enough water for your garden, I recommend planting Shrimp Plant where it has room to spread out. Hummingbirds love it, and it draws butterflies and bees as well.

It will do you proud.
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    Our Garden

    For years, my husband and I worked at creating a series of gardens on our four-acre lot in a rural, Texas subdivision west of Houston. I have to say, it was a fantastic experience. Now, I have a pocket garden on a golf course.

    I’ve learned that a small garden is as much a balm to the soul as a large one and can keep the gardener just as busy. 

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    While every garden is different, they all offer challenges, pleasures, time with nature.   Much like people, they have their good days and bad days, high seasons and low; and they can all be fun and beautiful if you love them enough.  
      

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  • Home
  • Tremors Through Time
  • All Shook Up
  • If Only You Knew
  • My Books
  • A Little Romance
  • Garden Warrior
  • Grains of Sand
  • About Me