| Life form | Grassy, bush |
| Family | Acanthaceae |
| Origin | Brazil |
| Ease of cultivation | Easy with small difficulties |
| The size | Up to 1 m in height in the pot, but it is better to form a plant of lower height. |
| Growth rate | Average. 8-10 cm per year. |
| Lifespan | A perennial plant, it is advisable to update every 2-3 years. |
| Temperature | In the summer: 69,8-75,2 ° F, in winter it is better to keep the temperature around 55,4-59 ° F and the minimum temperature + 44,6 ° F. |
| Humidity | Not less than 50%. Sprinkle with soft water and keep in moist pebbles, but during flowering during spraying, you cannot get on the inflorescence. In winter, spray on a daily basis. It is also desirable to regularly wipe the leaves of the plant with a wet cloth. |
| Lighting | Bright diffused light. Shade on the southern window. The east window is ideal. In winter, preferably at least 3 hours of directional light. |
| The soil | The soil must be breathable, sand or perlite with peat should be added if it is too dense. To a mixture of homemade should be taken: 1 part of humus, 1 part of coarse sand or perlite and 2 parts of peat or humus (leaf land). Always use a pot with an opening and a powerful drain. |
| Watering | During the flowering period, the soil must be constantly moist. However, one should also beware of overflow. In summer it is necessary to water every 3 days. After flowering and in winter every 10-14 days. |
| Fertilizer | In the summer no more than once every 3-4 weeks. |
| Reproduction | For reproduction, you can use cuttings obtained by pruning shoots that have not yet blossomed. 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. It is required to cover the container with polyethylene or glass, which can be removed after about 3 weeks. The stem takes root about a month. |
| Bloom | Spicate inflorescences, pink tubular flowers, blooms in summer, faded inflorescences should be removed. Blooms from February to April or summer and autumn. During flowering it is desirable to maintain low temperatures. |
| Transfer | Every year in April in the event that the roots became cramped in the pot and they appear through the drainage hole. |
| Features of care | Poorly carries drafts. Plants should be regularly cut and pricked, forming a branched bush. If the plant is very stretched, after flowering, cut the shoots by half. In summer it is good to take out into the street to the shade. |
| Difficulties | Leaves wither and fall off from drying up the substrate or vice versa from excess watering. Also, the lower leaves may fall from the cold. The plant does not bloom most often because of insufficient lighting. Flowers rot and fall off or result of contact with water by spraying them or because of insufficient ventilation. The leaves become pale when the plant needs fertilizing. It can be affected by red spider mites and whiteflies. |
| Air cleaning | – |
| Toxicity | – |
