Sunday, November 11, 2007

Chuparosa

Justicia californica

Ten Reasons to Love Chuparosa:



It's an Arizona Native
No supplemental water needed
Blooms most of the year, but most prolifically in fall and winter
Hummingbirds love it
It can take full sun and reflected heat. The more sun, the more flowers.
Easily propagated with vegetative cuttings in early summer
The medium size is easily controlled by pruning only once a year
The gray-green leaves provide wonderful contrast to surrounding plants
Hardy to 20°F and will recover quickly if frozen to the ground
Chuparosa flowers are edible, either raw or cooked.




at

19 comments:

  1. thisNovember 10, 2007 at 11:55 PM

    Now this plant looks so familiar, I'm sure that I've seen something very similar growing in many older backyards. LOL its on the weed list of introduced species.

    ReplyDelete
  2. MarkNovember 11, 2007 at 5:21 AM

    Hi Aiyana,
    Here is another one, it looks nice too.With it being a native i bet it is far easier to look after.Like your new header.

    Cheers Mark

    ReplyDelete
  3. SisahNovember 11, 2007 at 5:57 AM

    I have never seen this plant over here nor heard of it, I don´t think it is available here not even as a patio plant, though it is frost tolerant to a certain extent..... and germans love exotic plants. Sounds interesting for my herb garden! I don´t even find this species in my encyclopedia, but as I read there are about 420 species in this genus.
    Have an enjoyable GTS !
    Sisah

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousNovember 11, 2007 at 7:59 AM

    that's an interesting flower! they are edible? I'm not sure, but I think we have something similar here in my sister's garden (the leaves look different, though) ... we don't know the name. will try and post the flower/plant shot by next week.
    thanks for visiting!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Danielles GardenNovember 11, 2007 at 8:08 AM

    Hi there, nice to meet you! I have the frizzle top palm in south florida. Do a google image search for frizzle top palms. It's caused by lime seeping into the roots by nearby cement. The new growth in the top center is stunted until the condition is corrected.

    I like your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  6. kmlNovember 11, 2007 at 8:21 AM

    That is quiet a hardy plant - from heat to freezing - and you can eat it!

    Happy GTS!

    ReplyDelete
  7. JulieNovember 11, 2007 at 8:58 AM

    Have you used any flowers in a salad yet? I wonder what they taste like!!!
    Julie

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousNovember 11, 2007 at 9:04 AM

    I bet it is lovely to see the hummingbird hovering over this lovely vibrant plant. sara from farmingfriends

    ReplyDelete
  9. Laurie and ChrisNovember 11, 2007 at 11:33 AM

    Love the shape and the color of this plant.

    ReplyDelete
  10. JoyismygoalNovember 11, 2007 at 11:43 AM

    pretty , red is my favorite

    ReplyDelete
  11. LindaNovember 11, 2007 at 12:03 PM

    That is an interesting plant and with our summers getting more and more dry every year, it just might grow in my garden.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Gardenmomma ChrisNovember 11, 2007 at 12:43 PM

    Any plant that's a friend of hummingbirds is a friend of mine! Most things I plant just for the wildlife it attracts. I'll have to research it and see how it does in the Dallas area. Have a great week! Chris

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousNovember 11, 2007 at 12:48 PM

    What a versatile plant. Sounds like it does just about everything.

    ReplyDelete
  14. MuumNovember 11, 2007 at 2:21 PM

    Very nice plant, is it a sage/salvia or a pentsemon? It looks like it could be a relative, but I am just guessing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousNovember 11, 2007 at 3:08 PM

    Wow, you make a great case for chuparosa! The flowers remind me of long throated salvias. I've been looking to add some gray-green....

    ReplyDelete
  16. MichelleNovember 11, 2007 at 7:54 PM

    This looks like that firecracker plant....is it similar? It's really attractive with all the red!

    I have a question for you regarding 'natural' fertilizer. (read: manure!) Does it matter where it comes from, in other words, cow manure, horse manure, etc. Neighbors behind us have horses, it would be really convenient, but can you use that for a vegetable garden? I have no idea! Thanks for any help/advice you can offer or suggest! :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Cindy Garber IversonNovember 11, 2007 at 8:13 PM

    This looks and sounds an awful lot like my pineapple sage... are they related? Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

    ReplyDelete
  18. AiyanaNovember 11, 2007 at 11:36 PM

    Thanks for all the comments. In answer to your questions:
    Chuparosa is good in USDA Zones 8b-10.
    To me, the flowers have a mild cucumber flavor.
    Although the flowers look familiar, Chuparosa is not in the same genus as the salvia, penstemon, sage or firecracker plant. The leaves are different, and the stems are very brittle. The only other plants in the genus that some may be familiar with are Mexican Honeysuckle (Justicia spicigera)or Hummingbird Bush (Justicia suberecta)--or as it's now called, Dicliptera suberecta.

    ReplyDelete
  19. kate smudgesNovember 13, 2007 at 1:32 AM

    I like this flower - when I first saw it, I thought it was a firecracker plant.

    ReplyDelete