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Common Name: dicliptera
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Acanthaceae
Zone: 8 to 10
Native Range: Uruguay
Height: 1.5 to 2 feet
Spread: 1.5 to 2 feet
Bloom Time: July to September
Bloom Color: Orange
Bloom Description: Reddish-orange
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flowers: Showy Flowers
Wildlife: Attracts Hummingbirds
Uses: Suitable as Annual
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates some light shade and drought. Winter hardy to Zones 8-10, and will not survive St. Louis winters. Grow in containers or hanging baskets in the St. Louis area. Cuttings may be taken and overwintered indoors.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Dicliptera suberecta is a tender perennial that features ovate, velvety, gray-hairy leaves (to 2 1/2" long) and two-lipped, tubular reddish-orange flowers (1-3/4" long). Typically grows in a shrubby mound to 18-24" tall and as wide. Blooms summer into fall. Flowers are attractive to hummingbirds, hence the sometimes common name of hummingbird plant. Synonymous with Jacobina suberecta.
Problems
No serious insect or disease problems.
Garden Uses
Containers or hanging baskets.