Shrimp Plant Care: 3 Shrimp Plant Varieties

Named for its flower bracts—which resemble shrimp—the shrimp plant is a tropical evergreen shrub native to Mexico. The plant, also called a Mexican shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana), has flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

A shrimp plant can grow year-round in warmer climates, where it has a long bloom cycle that begins in early spring and lasts until winter. In cooler climates, you can grow the shrimp plant as a patio plant. To grow it as a houseplant, place it in a sunny window and use a grow light indoors to encourage plant flowers.

You can grow tropical shrimp plants with minimal care. However, there are some areas of plant care you can focus on to achieve the best results possible for you and your plants.

• Climate: Grow shrimp plants as outdoor perennials in USDA Hardiness Zones 9–11.
• Fertilizer: Use a slow-release fertilizer in early spring and switch to liquid fertilizer during the summer growing season.
• Light: Shrimp plants like bright but filtered light. Plant them in areas where they will receive morning sun and partial shade in the hot afternoon sun. Avoid full sun.
• Pest control: Shrimp plants might occasionally develop issues with spider mites or whiteflies. Use insecticidal soap as necessary to control any infestations.
• Propagation: If you wish to propagate your shrimp plant, dip stem cuttings into rooting hormone, then place the cuttings directly into your potting soil.
• Pruning: Remove spent flower heads at the end of the year to encourage new growth in the spring. Prune shrimp plants as houseplants more often to prevent them from becoming thin and leggy.
• Soil: Shrimp plants do best in well-drained acidic soil. Boost the soil with shrub food if the soil is low in organic nutrients.
• Water: Like many tropical plants, the shrimp plant will grow best in high humidity. It prefers evenly moist soil but should not be overly wet. Overwatering will cause yellow leaves (a sign the plant is losing nutrients).

Varieties of Justicia brandegeeana, also known as the shrimp plant, come in different hues. Here are three of the most common shrimp plants:

1. 1. Golden shrimp plant: This variety of shrimp plant (also called Justicia lutea or Pachystachys lutea) has bright green leaves, yellow bracts, and small white flowers that emerge from the bracts.
2. 2. Red shrimp plant: This shrimp plant grows to about two feet tall and has large, crimson-colored bracts with small, tube-shaped white flowers.
3. 3. Purple shrimp plant: Sometimes also called the blue shrimp plant or honeywort plant, the purple shrimp plant belongs to the Cerinthe botanical genus. It produces deep red to bluish-purple bracts with small purple flowers and somewhat resembles the Justicia shrimp plants.

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