| Life form | Grassy, bush |
| Family | Acanthaceae |
| Origin | Southeast Asia, Malaysia, Philippines |
| Ease of cultivation | Easy with small difficulties. |
| The size | At the first flowering about 30 cm in height and 18-20 cm in width, in the second year doubles the dimensions. |
| Growth rate | Very fast. 5-6 leaves per year, the second year of cultivation gives 4-5 shoots. |
| Lifespan | Usually the plant grows within 1 year, it then blooms in the second year. |
| Temperature | In summer: 75,2 ° F, in winter, if not watered, can withstand the temperature of 50 ° F, but it is better to maintain the temperature at about 59 ° F. |
| Humidity | Sprinkle with soft water and keep in moist pebbles, however, during the flowering period, the moisture content should be reduced by removing the pebbles. |
| Lighting | Bright diffused light. Shade on the southern window. The east window is ideal. |
| The soil | The soil must be breathable, sand or perlite with peat should be added if it is too dense. For a mixture of own preparation, take: 1 part of the turf ground, 1 part coarse-grained sand or perlite and 2 parts peat or humus (leaf land). Always use a pot with an opening and drainage. |
| Watering | The soil must be constantly moist. However, one should also beware of overflow. During growth, it is necessary to water at least 2 times a week, after flowering – not more than once a week. Then within 4-6 weeks, you should give the plant a rest and resume watering, when again you want it to continue to grow. |
| Fertilizer | During the growing season every 10-15 days, liquid fertilizer, alternating organic and mineral. The plant requires a rather fertile soil. |
| Reproduction | For reproduction, cuttings obtained by cutting can be used. The stalk must have at least 2 leaves. Root in a mixture of wet peat and perlite in conditions of high humidity at a temperature of 75,2 ° F, pre-treating the stalk with heteroauxin. Propagagation is done by seeds, which should be sown in early spring. |
| Bloom | Spicate inflorescences, flowers with yellow bracts, flowers in summer, faded inflorescences should be removed. |
| Transfer | Once in 2-3 years. Before flowering cuttings are also desirable to transplant at least once. |
| Features of care | Poorly carries drafts, smell of gas and oil soot. Plants should be regularly renewed from cuttings. In summer it is good to take out into the street to the shade. |
| Difficulties | In the dry air leaves the tips of dry, summer leaves fall resulting from sunburn or the dry air and in winter are likely due to the drying of the soil. As a result of a sunburn, brown spots on the leaves may also appear. The base of the stems decays with excessive moisture of the soil in the cold, and slow growth, smaller new leaves and lack of flowering are observed with a shortage of food. The plant can fade as a result of the action of a draft. The leaves can become brown as a result of the action of the burning gas. It is affected by spider mites, aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and Coccidae. |
| Air cleaning | – |
| Toxicity | – |
