I had one years back but it slowly wasted away. Seems better in a cooler climate.

Well it was definitely not cool where I came across this! High temperature and high humidity, almost unbearable at times.

It's all relative, depends on what you're used to. If you're from a cold climate it doesn't take much for anything to be unbearable.

Hi

One of my favoriite plants !! Can't grow them in my sand so they are potted but outdoors. If you grow them in strong sunlight they will turn almost silver But if grown in deep shade will be almost entirely purple Also if you feed them with trace minerals the new leaves take on an irridescence almost a sparkle !! I do find they will decline after a couple of years but easily started from cuttings Another great attribute is that they are very easy to keep under 3 feet and if you remove the growing tip will bush out !!

They use them as hedges in some of the local admission gardens

gary

There's warm and then there's warm! It's not cold here all year, this summer has been very hot, but in there, well its like being in a sauna!

A near-tropical shrub, Z8b+. Loves sauna-like humidity & moist conditions, like in AL, a few miles from FL border.

I started several this year. Need near constant moisture, and deep shade. All but two died - one survived in deep shade in a pot, and another I planted has barely hung on.

Wilts in minutes in direct sun - so fast you can actually see it happen.

See? everybody's differing climates get different results. I find it hardy for the SF bay area- no problems with light frost with some tree canopy. Its not a plant that likes "fern shade" it wants it bright with some sun outdoors here.

You might also cut off those flowering stalks. They do nothing but cause a plant to die back.

God I couldn't live in AL if it has sauna like heat! I'd be wilting like a limp lettuce

AL is like a sauna, hot & exceptionally humid for at least 5 months per year (then not as hot & exceptionally humid for the other months.) I'm not sure if PS prefers that, but definitely doesn't mind.

Stan, the color seems the most intense if there's some morning or late afternoon sun for plants in this area also. Mid-day sun is too intense, shade during that time.

When I lived in OH, I brought this plant inside for winter, definitely didn't like that, though I never had one fail to stay alive. Usually saw a few straggly blooms though, a short-day bloomer.

Larry, awww, sounds like you wouldn't like it here.

I grow them here in Tampa, had my oldest for almost 2 years. Really seems to like it in the bright shady areas. It does for me in the the nutrient poor sands. In fact, when I want a new plant I simply stick the cutting directly in the ground where I want it and just treat it like any other plant. Nearly all of them make it, I don't think I have ever had one fail to grow. One of the best plants for my garden, can't imagine being without it.

Have used Strobilanthes for years up here in the north as an annual. Great plants. One caveat for any grower starting them under glass: They are very sensitive to short photoperiods. So, if you're starting your plants say, in January in your greenhouse, they may "bolt", that is, go into flowering mode, and this negatively affects growth and development. What you then need to do is add some supplemental lighting to lengthen that photoperiod, or length of daylight. They'll come right out of that stubborn flowering mode (flowers are not why you're growing this plant) and resume nice vegetative growth.

Used them in shade to part-sun up here in sconnie. Of course, we're nowhere near to a place like Alabama in terms of heat, although our summers aren't exactly cool either. In any case, a good one for sure.

+oM

In my experience, Persian Shield thrives in the north (i.e. central Ohio) in full sun and foliage color is brightest in sun. Plants are less vigorous in partial shade. In the deep south, afternoon shade (or filtered shade all the time) would be optimal.

Potted plants are difficult to keep in good shape over the winter under lights.

No lack of vigor on Strobilanthes in part-shade. Not sure where that idea springs from. I'm talking direct experience. Everything from quite sunny to about half-shade-no issues with vigor or leaf coloration whatsoever.

The biggest factor in growing this plant is not even one which the end-user controls-that of photoperiod in the greenhouse where they were initially grown. So, if started in winter, which is of course exactly what would happen in the northern tier states, the day length during that time of year is quite short. This can cause Strobilanthes to "bolt", that is, initiate flower buds instead of vegetative growth. Once this begins, it can be quite difficult to get them to go into vegetative growth again, and stunted, non-vigorous plants can be the result. The remedy for this is supplemental lighting during these short-day winter months when growing this plant. That keeps it in growth-not flowering-mode, and the plant will perform well once placed in the landscape for the summer.

+oM

I've never had any problems with the performance the next summer when plants I've brought inside for winter made blooms. A few winters ago, it was so mild, one outside shrub didn't defoliate and it bloomed too. Where I am is about the north edge of its' hardiness. Survival of anything above ground over winter is very unusual. It was gorgeous (and HUGE) the next summer.

The prime exposure would be tied to location/latitude (sun intensity.) When I lived in OH, I put these in very sunny spots. Now I'm just N of FL border and this plant looks its' best in spots with some mid-day shade.

Rusty, my experience bringing potted specimens inside over the past couple decades has been the same. But as long as plants are still alive by spring, they can go back outside & POP back to being gorgeous very quickly.

I really want to find one of these for my garden. Will they do well in partial shade. Maybe 2-4 hours of sun a day?

Thanks

Join me in the garden! ➜ https://goo.gl/GHO5MN

I don't think they do very well with filtered / limited sunlight. They tend to turn a yellow-green color instead of purple. They really love full-sun and partial shade. :)

Thanks a lot oldmangroot, when I find some im gonna try it!