Persian Shield - Sun or Shade - Still a Winner

Grooming the plants this weekend I had a chance to notice the difference in the two containers holding Persian Shield - otherwise known as Strobilanthes dyerianus - Persian Shield is so much easier to remember!  Both plants did equally but the one in the sun had more dense foliage and slightly smaller leaves.  The intense purple color was the same though.  Considering how well both plants did with minimal watering and the color impact they provided, they are definitely going to be repeats next summer season.

 

Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus)

Full sun to part sun - 3' x 3'

Zone

Companioned with Vinca Cora White and Angelonia Serena White

 

 

In the sun the plant was more compact with shorter stems and slightly smaller leaves, which provided room on the sides for other plants to grow to their full size.  Notice in the photo below of the container grown with only late afternoon sun that the leaves are bigger and the plant branches are more spread out.  This allowed the lantana to filter in among the Persian Shield leaves -- although with so much shade the lantana didn't bloom well.  You may be asking why I planted lantana "in the shade"....it didn't use to be so much shade...I didn't take into account how much the street trees had grown over the years.  Anyway..... 

 

 



....put this plant on your "tuff plant" list and use it somewhere in your designs next year.  Don't forget that this is a tender perennial and often used as a houseplant, so if you were interested, you could pot it up and bring it indoors.  But do spray it well so you don't bring in any "friends".  

More updates to come as the summer season comes to a close.....some of the containers are ready to give it up but quite a few are still struttin' their stuff as the cool nights allow them to recover.