Species · genus Aphelandra · Acanthaceae

Coral Aphelandra

Aphelandra sinclairiana Nees

Also known as: Sinclair's Aphelandra · Panama Queen

Growth habit

shrub or tree

Native range

Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá

Aphelandra sinclairiana — reference photo — no rights reserved · CC0

Cultivars of A. sinclairiana

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under A. sinclairiana yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A Central American Shrub

Aphelandra sinclairiana, sometimes called coral aphelandra, is a shrub or small tree in the Acanthaceae family. It belongs to the same genus as the more familiar zebra plant, sharing that group's fondness for warm, humid conditions.

Source: Kew

Wet Tropics Native

This species comes from Central America, with its native range recorded across Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. It grows naturally in the wet tropical biome, as a shrub or tree rather than a groundcover.

Source: Kew

Family Traits, Bold Bracts

As with other Aphelandra, this is an evergreen shrub carrying simple, opposite leaves, often patterned or veined with silver. Its flowers are tubular and two-lipped, gathered into dense spikes at the stem tips and set off by colourful bracts.

Source: RHS

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 10 days

Humidity

High

Temperature

16–29 °C

Soil mix

Rich, well-draining mix with peat and perlite

Propagation

Softwood stem cuttings

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in spring and summer

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Showy orange-pink bracts, mostly in warm, bright conditions

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Coral Aphelandra yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.