Jacobinia

Family. Acanthaceae.

Origin: Mexico. 

Description. Jacobinia is a low, evergreen, perennial shrub and subshrub with a rounded crown. The stems are branching, erect, woody at the base and covered with brown bark. The leaves are dark green, velvety, simple, lanceolate, 3-8 cm long, often have a glossy sheen. The leaf blades are covered with a network of well-defined veins. The flowers are single or collected in rounded inflorescences 10-20 cm in diameter, bright - white, yellow, pink, salmon or orange.

Height. Without pruning it can reach 1 m in height. The plant develops quickly and can add 50 cm in height per season.

Care at home

Reproduction 

Propagation is excellent with cuttings 5-10 cm long, which easily take root in loose nutritious soil under a cover of transparent plastic or glass. The lower leaves are removed from the cuttings before planting and the bases are dusted with growth hormones. Rooting of indoor plants takes 2-3 weeks. 

Growing and pruning jacobinia 

Regularly pinch the apical buds of young shoots to stimulate the formation of a dense crown. Trim long stems in early spring to maintain a compact shape. Take jacobinia outside in the summer months, choosing a place with protection from rain and wind. 

When it blooms 

Spring – summer. Flowers fade rather quickly, but bright bracts decorate the bushes for many months.

Transplantation 

Replanting of indoor flowers is carried out in the spring, as needed, when the jacobinia becomes frankly cramped in the pot. 

Diseases and pests 

Yellowed leaves indicate the beginning of rotting. The tips of the leaves dry out and turn brown when there is insufficient air humidity. Flowering does not occur when there is insufficient light.

Among harmful insects, spider mites, aphids, whiteflies, mealybugs, and scale insects may pose a certain danger to the flower.

Content temperature

The optimal temperature range is considered to be between 18 and 25° C during the period of active growth. In the winter months, after flowering, it is advisable for jacobinia to rest at a temperature of 16 - 18° C. 

Lighting

The location should be brightly lit by reflected sunlight. Direct sunlight can hit the plants early in the morning and evening for 3 hours daily to ensure abundant flowering. 

Soil

With the addition of one third of peat, fertile, moist, well-drained soil.

Fertilizing

Throughout the year, feed 2 times a month with water-soluble fertilizers with a high phosphorus content. In the spring.

Spraying

These plants will need high humidity as the summer heat sets in. Place the plants on a tray of damp pebbles or use a room humidifier. Mist the leaves with room temperature water in the morning, being careful not to get it on the flowers and bracts. 

Watering

During the growing season, Jacobinia is watered regularly and abundantly, keeping the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Excess moisture that appears in the tray after watering must be drained. The frequency of watering in autumn and winter will depend on the air temperature. When kept in a cool place, simply protect the soil from drying out completely.

Purpose

A beautiful, long-lasting and abundantly flowering plant. 

Note

With age and in the absence of pruning, jacobinia often loses its attractiveness, exposing the lower part of the stems.

Varieties:

Jacobinia pauciflora​​

A small evergreen flowering shrub with thin, branched branches that form a rounded, lush crown 75 - 100 cm high. The leaves are dark green, glossy, on short petioles, lanceolate. The leaf blades are entire, slightly bent along the central vein. The flowers are tubular, painted in several shades at once: the base of the flower remains dark, brown, the center is painted in a bright scarlet shade, and the tips of the fused petals are yellow. 

Jacobinia carnea - red​

A perennial evergreen flowering plant 60-75 cm high. The leaves are large, dark green, glossy, broadly lanceolate. The leaf veins are branched, slightly sunken into the surface of the leaves. The apical large inflorescences consist of many long, tubular pink, less often white flowers.