Pachystachys spicata

42.14710999, -87.7898941

42.14719391, -87.78972626

Cardinal's Guard

Cardinal's guard (Pachystachys spicata) a member of the Acanthaceae family, is native to South America and the greater Caribbean. This ornamental tropical plant bears large clusters of brilliant red flowers along an erect terminal spike with overlapping green leaf-like bracts. The flower clusters are composed of 2-inch tubes with two central lobes at right angles and two protruding stamens. Its dark green, glossy, oval leaves have prominent veins and grow to 12 inches. The shrub will reach 6 feet in height and grows best in a sunny location in fertile, sandy, loamy, well-drained, moderately moist soil, where hummingbirds love to feed at its tubular blossoms. The name was validly published by Hip贸lito Ruiz L贸pez and Jos茅 Antonio Pavon, but it was not until 1986 that Dieter Carl Wasshausen reclassified it into today's valid botanical systematics.

鈥橃稊旮瓣步鞚 氤挫磮鈥欕澕瓿 攵堧Μ電 韺岉偆鞀ろ儉韨れ姢 鞀ろ敿旃错儉電 欹愱棘毽齑堦臣鞚 鞁濍搿 雮晞氅旊Μ旃挫檧 旃磛毽箘鞎堩暣臧 鞗愳偘歆鞛呺媹雼. 鞚 鞁濍鞚 鞛レ嫕鞖╈潣 鞐措寑 鞁濍搿 鞛庩皺鞚 韽椊鞚 瓴轨硱靹 雮橁碃, 攴胳渼搿 鞖半殱靻熿潃 靾橃儊 杲冹皑搿 霊橂爤鞐 頇旊牑頃 牍皠 杲冸毽ゼ 頂检泚雼堧嫟. 杲冸毽姅 2鞚胳箻 旮胳澊鞚 雽搿标臣 v欷戩暀鞚 歆侁皝鞙茧雮 霊愱皽鞚 搿滊笇, 霊愱皽鞚 韸鞏措倶鞓 靾橃垹搿 鞚措(鞏 臁岇姷雼堧嫟. 鞛庫潃 歆勲吂靸夓澊瓿, 氚橂摛 氚橂摛頃橁碃, 韮鞗愴枼鞚鸽嵃, 雸堨棎 霛勲姅 鞛庪Д鞚 鞛堦碃, 12鞚胳箻旯岇 鞛愲瀺雼堧嫟. 鞚 甏氇╈潃 6頂柬姼鞚 韥赴搿 鞛愲澕瓿, 頃搓皜 鞛 霌滊姅 鞙勳箻鞐, 鞏戨秳瓿 氇灅臧 毵庫潃, 鞏戫啝歆堨棎, 氍检澊 鞛橂範歆電, 鞝侂嫻頌 靾橂秳鞚 鞛堧姅 韱犾枒鞐愳劀 鞛 鞛愲瀺雼堧嫟. 氩岇儓霌れ澊 杲冸寑搿膘棎靹 昕鞚 毹闺姅 瓴冹潉 膦嬱晞頃 瓴冹瀰雼堧嫟. 鞚措鞚 鞚错彺毽啝 耄澊歃 搿滍帢歃堨檧 順胳劯 鞎堩啝鞚挫槫 韺岆掣鞐愳潣 頃 氚滍憸霅橃棃歆毵, 1986雲勳棎, 霐旍澊韯 旃 氚旍姢頃橃毎鞝犾澊 順勳灛鞚 鞗愳槇頃欖泊瓿勳棎 霐半澕 雼れ嫓 甑秳霅橃棃鞀惦媹雼.

Soil:
Moist
Plant Shape:
Upright
Exposure:
Full Sun
Partial Shade
Bloom Time:
January - February
March - April
November - December
Bloom Color:
Red
Landscape Use:
Bedding or Border
Specimen Plant
Wildlife Interest:
Attracts Birds
Attracts Butterflies
Plant Type:
Shrub
Hardiness Zone:
10 - 11