Pachystachys lutea – Indoor House Plants

Pachystachys lutea Plant features showy spikes of white tubular flowers with gold bracts rising above the foliage from mid spring to mid summer. It has dark green foliage with light green veins which emerges light green in spring. The glossy oval leaves remain dark green through the winter. The fruit is not ornamentally significant. Golden Shrimp Plant is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a mounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Scientific name: Pachystachys lutea

Common name: Lollipop plant and Golden shrimp plant

How to grow and maintain Pachystachys lutea:

Soil and Sunlight:

Pachystachys lutea plant is easily grown in the ground as a summer annual in rich, moist soil in full sun (light shade in southern states) or as a houseplant. Plants in containers can be moved outside during the warm months and returned indoors to overwinter in a greenhouse or bright window.

Temperature:

Being a tropical plant it cannot tolerate cold temperatures, and may drop leaves if air temperatures go below 60F. Any plants that are to be overwintered need to be moved indoors in late summer or early fall before nighttime temperatures get into the low 40’s. In-ground plants may survive a light frost, but will be leafless and take a long time to recover.

Watering:

Indoors water sparingly in the winter and increase watering as the plant begins to resume growth in the spring. Keep plants evenly moist when in bloom.

Prune:

Plants can be heavily pruned to maintain a reasonable size and to shape the plant. If left unpruned, the plants will get leggy and top heavy. Deadheading will encourage bushiness and additional blooms. Pinching the growing tips will encourage branching for a fuller plant.

Fertilization:

It should be fertilized regularly to maintain good blooming; blossom booster fertilizers are recommended.

Propagation:

It is easily propagated from softwood and semi-ripened stem cuttings taken in early summer. Use 4” long stem tips and use rooting hormone to increase the success rate.

Pests:

This plant has few pests, but is susceptible to the common insects that often infest houseplants, including aphids, mealybugs, scales, spider mites and whiteflies.