Species · genus Justicia · Acanthaceae

Malabar Nut

Justicia adhatoda L.

Also known as: Malabar Nut Tree · Pavettia

Growth habit

shrub or tree

Native range

Afghanistan, Assam, Bangladesh, East Himalaya, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, West Himalaya

Reference · J. adhatoda

Cultivars of J. adhatoda

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

No named cultivars catalogued under J. adhatoda 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.

Justicia adhatoda is an evergreen shrub or small tree from the subtropical foothills and plains of South Asia and the Himalayas, accustomed to warm conditions and seasonal monsoon moisture. Give it bright indirect light and let the top inch or two of mix dry before watering again, since it tolerates brief dryness far better than soggy roots. It accepts ordinary household humidity and prefers a well-draining mix that does not stay wet.

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 7-12d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 12 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

13–30 °C

Soil mix

Well-draining loamy mix with organic matter

Propagation

Semi-ripe stem cuttings rooted in warm mix

Fertilizing

Balanced feed monthly during active growth

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

White flowers with purple veining in dense spikes

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.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-12d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Malabar Nut yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.