Species · genus Justicia · Acanthaceae

White Shrimp Plant

Justicia betonica T.Anderson, 1867

Also known as: Squirrel's Tail · Paper Plume · White Justicia

Growth habit

perennial or subshrub

Reference · J. betonica

Cultivars of J. betonica

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

No named cultivars catalogued under J. betonica 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 betonica is a perennial subshrub in the Acanthaceae, a family of mostly soft-stemmed tropical and subtropical plants. It prefers bright, indirect light and steady but not soggy soil; let the top inch of mix dry before watering again. As a leafy subshrub it draws down moisture fairly quickly, so check it more often in warm or bright conditions.

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

Medium

Temperature

16–29 °C

Soil mix

Fertile, moisture-retentive well-draining mix

Propagation

Stem cuttings rooted in moist mix

Fertilizing

Balanced liquid feed monthly in the growing season

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

White bracts veined pink; occasional indoors

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 5-10d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow White Shrimp Plant 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.