What exactly is Justicia Carnea?
Justicia carnea (Brazilian Plume) is an erect, evergreen shrub with broad, dark green leaves that are 10 in. (25 cm) long and spectacular flower plumes that measure 8 in. (20 cm) tall and are densely packed with pink to scarlet tubular flowers. Hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to the flowers, which bloom from early summer until late October. Justicia carnea (Brazilian Plume) is an excellent choice for a tropical garden due to its luxuriant foliage and beautiful flowers. It’s ideal for use as a foundation or mass planting, but it’s also great in containers or as a houseplant.
Plant Information for Justicia Carnea-Brazilian Plume Flower
– It can reach a height of 4-6 feet (120–180 cm) and a width of 2-3 feet (60-90 cm).
-The Brazilian plume flower is another name for this flower.
-Justicia carnea belongs to the Acanthaceae family.
-This plant prefers part shade to full shade and grows best in moist, humusy, well-drained soils.
-This plant is ideal for Mediterranean gardens and containers.
-Pinch out tips to encourage compact growth. After flowering, cut back to 2-3 nodes from the ground to maintain the plant’s bushy shape and encourage more blooms.
-Semi-hardwood cuttings are used for propagation.
-In general, it’s disease-free. Glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly should be avoided.
-Brazil is the country of origin.
-Common names include Brazilian Plume, Plume Flower, Plume Plant, and Flamingo.
-Jacobinia carnea is a synonym.
Description
-Plant density: low
-Justicia carnea growth pattern: erect and spreading
-Slow rate of growth
-grainy texture
-2 to 3 feet in width
-3 to 6 feet tall.
FRUIT
-Fruit shape: pod-like or pod
-The fruit is less than 5 inches long.
-Fruit protection: dry or hard?
-The fruit is brown in color.
-Fruit characteristics include being unobtrusive and unshowy.
CULTURE
-Justicia Carnea grows in the shadow and requires little light.
-Tolerances of soil: acidic; mildly alkaline; sand; loam; clay
-Drought tolerance: undetermined
-Soil salt tolerance is low.
-Justicia’s carnea spacing should be between 24 and 36 inches.
Foliage
-elliptic leaf form (oval)
-A simple type of leaf
-opposite or subopposite leaf arrangement.
-The green hue of the leaves
-Undulate leaf border
-Characteristics of the fall: unobtrusive
-Leaf type and longevity: deciduous
-The length of the leaf blades ranges from 8 to 12 inches.
-There is no change in fall color.
-Pinnate leaf venation
TRUNK AND BRANCHES
–Trunks, bark, and branches are not extremely spectacular; stems are usually multi-trunked or clumped.
-Green is the color of the current year’s stems and twigs.
-The thickness of stems and twigs this year was quite thick.
management and application
Rain and irrigation weigh down the leaves, causing the branches to spread out and sometimes touch the ground. This restricts the plant’s height development while allowing light to penetrate the interior, boosting growth from the lower stem and inner branches. It may be found in nearly every garden in USDA hardiness zones 8b through 11.
Jacobinia should be planted in a position that is protected from the full-day sun on rich, well-drained soil that receives plenty of rainfall. Although frost-sensitive, plants in USDA hardiness zones 8 and 9 will recover swiftly in the spring. During the growing season, the only trimming required should be the removal of dead flower heads or the occasional pinching to induce branching. Because flowers bloom on new growth, prune early in the spring to avoid reducing floral display. This increases the number of branches and blossoms, resulting in a complete, appealing plant. Older plants benefit from rejuvenation pruning, in which the majority of the longer stems are trimmed back to a node near the ground. Plants should last for many years if this is done every year.
How to prepare justicia carnea
Justicia Carnea Leaf | Ewe Eje Ingredients 8-10 leaves Justicia Carnea
– 1 cup of water
Instructions
Preparing Ewe ajeri (blood leaf solution) is easy.
First, cut a few fresh or dried leaves from the stem, then wash to remove dust and insects.
Second, heat water and soak Justicia Carnea leaves in it for 15 minutes in a covered container.
Alternatively, boil the leaves in clean water until they turn totally crimson.
Uses and Side Effect of Justicia Carnea leaf
In Nigeria, the leaf of Justicia carnea is commonly used to make soup or porridge yam when combined with edible vegetables like Efinrin /scent leaf. For therapeutic purposes, it is boiled separately in water to make tea or cooked with other medicinal plants.
The extract is not known to cause liver or kidney damage.