Coral Flower Planting Methods and Care Tips Explained in Detail

Coral Flower, also known as Brazilian plume flower, is a perennial evergreen subshrub of the genus Justicia in the family Acanthaceae. Its flowers are densely arranged into short panicles, rose-purple or pink, and both in shape and color resemble coral, bright and elegant, making it suitable for decorating rooms. This species resembles coral in both shape and color, is bright and elegant, and is suitable for decorating rooms. It likes sunny and warm, humid environments, is not cold-tolerant, and prefers humus-rich, well-drained sandy loam.

Coral Flower is commonly propagated by cuttings, generally in spring or autumn. Cut new shoots or stem sections that have not yet formed buds as cuttings, 5-8 cm long, remove the lower leaves, leaving only 2-3 leaves at the top, insert them into a growing medium mixed with equal parts peat soil and coarse sand, water thoroughly, then cover the flower pot with a plastic bag and place it in semi-shade; roots will form in 15-20 days, and once new leaves grow it can be transplanted, with a relatively high survival rate.

How to Grow Coral Flower

1. Potting: For potted Coral Flower, sandy leaf mold can be used, or ordinary garden soil with an appropriate amount of river sand, sawdust and cake fertilizer added, then composted and fermented for later use. You can plant 2-3 small seedlings in one pot at the same time, or plant a single seedling alone; by pinching off the growing tips you encourage lower side buds to sprout and form a better plant shape.

2. Light: Coral Flower likes light. Apart from needing appropriate shading during summer when light is strong, to avoid direct sunlight, it should get plenty of sun in spring and autumn. In northern regions it is generally brought indoors in early to mid-October; after being brought indoors, place it in a spot with ample sunlight, stop fertilizing, and keep the potting soil on the drier side, because watering too much at this time can easily cause leaf drop and root rot.

3. Temperature: During the winter, the room temperature for Coral Flower should be kept above 12°C. At the same time, it is advisable to spray and wash the branches and leaves once every 7-10 days with clean water close to room temperature; this both increases air humidity and keeps the plant clean, which facilitates photosynthesis and is very beneficial to its growth and flowering.

4. Watering: During the growing season, besides frequently keeping the potting soil moist, Coral Flower also needs frequent watering of the ground near the flower pot to increase air humidity. Generally, apply a dilute cake fertilizer solution once every 10-14 days, and promptly cut off spent flowers after they fade.

5. Pruning: When Coral Flower seedlings have grown to about 15 cm in height after potting, pinch off the growing tips to encourage more branching and more flowering. For mature plants, carry out a pruning once every year in early spring along with repotting, keeping the plant height below 50 cm and encouraging a full, bushy shape.

6. Pests and diseases: Coral Flower sometimes develops leaf spot disease, which can be sprayed with a 600-fold dilution of 65% zineb wettable powder. Pests include stinging caterpillars, leafhoppers and aphids, which can be killed by spraying with a 2000-fold dilution of 10% chlorpyrifos emulsifiable concentrate.

Later Care

1. Care before seedlings emerge

After sowing, we need to water it appropriately. At this time we cannot irrigate directly; generally we use a sprayer or a watering can with relatively small holes to moisten the growing medium.

Afterward, whenever the potting soil looks a little dry, we can continue to water in this way. In addition, when watering, be sure not to use too much force, to prevent washing the seeds out.

2. Care after seedlings emerge

If temperatures are too low before the seedlings emerge, you need to cover them with an insulating film to keep them warm. But once the seedlings have grown out, the film needs to be removed, and they should also be given appropriate sun exposure, otherwise the seedlings will grow very weak and spindly.