S & J Nursery’s Guide to Growing
Jacobinia / Brazilian Plume Flower
/ Flamingo Plant
( Justicia carnea) in the Northeast Florida Landscape
Justicia carnea / Jacobinia / Brazilian Plume 
Flower / Flamingo Plant Origins:
– Justicia carnea is one of the most underused plants for shaded gardens in
our Northeast Florida landscapes. These South American natives are cold hardy to just under 30 degrees
F and the roots are hardy all the way into zone 8B. So while these beautiful tropicals may not remain evergreen in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine Florida landscape, they are reliably perennial garden plants and will
return each summer with blooms from June to the first frost of December.
Preferred Exposure Justicia carnea / Jacobinia / Brazilian Plume Flower / Flamingo
Plant :
– Brazilian Plume Flower will do best when planted into a fully or partially
shaded location in the Northeast Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape.
– morning sun with afternoon shade
– filtered light locations under taller growing trees
– full shade
– indoor low light conditions
Foliage of the Justicia carnea / Jacobinia / Brazilian Plume Flower / Flamingo Plant :
– Simple, opposite or subopposite leaves have an oval or elliptical shape, may grow to 8-12 inches in length and are a deep to medium green color. Plant foliage is hardy to just under 30 degrees.
* Do not trim cold damaged foliage on tropical plant selections
until all danger of frost has passed. Trimming off frost
damaged foliage will expose tender plant tissues further down on the plant to the cold during the next
frost causing unnecessary winter burn on your prized tropicals.
– Foliage may remain evergreen during the winter in our Northeast Florida area gardens, but will be deciduous in most garden settings.
– When the plants go dormant in the winter months they will regrow
reliably the following summer here in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine area garden.
Soil Preference / Salt tolerance Justicia carnea Brazilian Plume Flower / Flamingo Plant :
– Brazilian Plume flowers will prefer rich fertile soils that are well drained and consistently moist. When planting into infertile sandy soils amend soils generously with compost at planting time.
Size Variance of the Justicia carnea / Jacobinia / Brazilian Plume Flower /
Flamingo Plant :
– The foliage on the Justicia carnea Brazilian Plume Flower / Flamingo Plant may reach heights of 3-6 ft or more in the tropics, or when grown indoors, but are normally seen at around 2-3 ft high and wide here in the Jacksonville and St. Augustine area landscapes.
Growth Habit of the Justicia carnea Brazilian Plume Flower / Flamingo Plant :
– Justicia carnea plants have soft green stems that have a tendency to bend out and downward under the weight of the blooms. Plants have a rounded or mounding form.
Growth Rate of the Justicia carnea Brazilian Plume Flower / Flamingo Plant :
– Moderate grower, emerges slowly in spring and grows quickly when weather warms for the summer.
Blooms of the Justicia carnea / Jacobinia / Brazilian Plume Flower / Flamingo Plant :
– I just do not know how anyone with a shady garden spot does not have one of these beauties growing in it! Maybe it is because most people do their looking at garden centers in early spring time when these plants are just emerging from the pots and don’t look like anything that may be impressive. So possibly, the average gardener may never have seen one of these beauties when they are in full bloom. Who Knows, some things just make no sense! Needless to say…Brazilian plume flowers have long been a personal favorite of mine for shade gardens where we often see so much green foliage and very little blooming plants. I look forward each year to the flushes of gorgeous blooms!
– Brazilian Plume flower blooms sporadically on and off a few times each growing season.
– Blooms form on new growth so don’t hesitate to pinch off spent blooms and branch tips to force a flush of new growth. Pinching out branch tips on young plants as they emerge in the spring will increase the number of new stems on the plant and will give you more flowering branch tips!
– Brazilian Plume flowers or Flamingo flowers make good cut flowers to bring to your indoor arrangements.
Water Requirements of the Justicia carnea /
Jacobinia / Brazilian Plume Flower /
Flamingo Plant :
– Although much more durable once established in the landscape, regular water is necessary to get the plant rooted and growing on it’s own after being planted in the ground from an S & J Nursery container. Water every day for the first week then every other day for the next week.
– Use supplemental irrigation once to twice a week after the plant is
established and growing in the landscape especially during the hot summer months or when planted into sandy soil garden areas or when used as a potted accent plant.
Best Use for the / Jacobinia / Brazilian Plume Flower / Flamingo Plant plant
in the Jacksonville | St. Augustine Area Landscapes :
– Justicia carnea is a great easy care low maintenance addition to just about any shady landscape setting.
– Use Justicia carnea in front of larger shrubs, in mass plantings or mixed
into perennial borders and container plantings. Makes an excellent indoor in low light conditions.
– Large brightly colored blooms are the perfect accent to draw your
attention wherever you plant them.
– Easy care plant for containers on pool decks, patio areas, walkways, home
entry accents etc.
– Blooms make good cut flowers.
Care of Justicia carnea Brazilian Plume Flower / Flamingo Plant in the Northeast
Florida Landscape:
– Water every day during the establishment period after planting in the garden from an S & J Nursery container.
-Trim off cold damaged foliage in spring after all danger of frost has passed.
– Do not trim cold damaged foliage on tropical plant selections until all danger of frost has passed. Trimming off frost damaged foliage will expose tender plant tissues further down on the plant to the cold during the next frost causing unnecessary winter burn on your prized tropical plant selections.
– Fertilize with a good heaping shovel full or garden compost or a slow release garden plant food like Osmocote directly after spring pruning and again in summer and then again in early fall.