Persian Shield

Q. A couple of months ago I bought a Persian Shield. It had a bushy shape however over time all the side shoots seemed to die away and now it has only one main stem with leaves on it. In addition the lower leaves tend to dry up and fall off making the plant look sort of long and top-heavy. I am not sure that it is getting the correct growth conditions. It gets lots of light all day but very little direct sunshine. I water it about every 2-3 days and spray it with water every day. Is there something that can be done to improve its conditions? I'd like to prune it to get it to look more like a bush and replant the cuttings. However from past experience I have never successfully rooted a Strobilanthes cutting. What is the best way to do it?

A. Strobilanthes Dyerianus (stro-bi-LAN-thez) Persian Shield

I have never grown this plant! But I found a fine article which talks about pruning culture and propagation so I reprinted it here with citation.

The Persian Shield Plant is quickly catching everyone's eye this spring with its beautiful exotic looking narrow lance-shaped quilted leaves. The marbled rich purple leaves have iridescent blue markings with a deep wine red underside. The Persian Shield plant was a favorite in Victorian times and appears to be well on its way to becoming a favorite today.

Persian Shield has beautiful blue flowers but they should be removed because they weaken the plant. Persian Shields need pruning often to keep them in shape and so they don?t become leggy. The plant can grow up to three feet with pinching and a double pinch is recommended and up to five feet without and will stand on their own without staking.

I have found that under hanging baskets and climbing vines in my greenhouse is a perfect spot for them as it receives partial shade during the hottest part of the day but also receives enough sunlight to keep its varied colors. I have a raised bed with other tropicals in it and so the plant can grow into the ground and have plenty of water.

A good group of companion plants could include Ferns Caladiums Lambs Ears Silver Plectranthus and Impatiens. Another great idea is to grow them among red or purple flowers or foliage that will enhance the colors of the Persian Shield. This plant can be grown outdoors in the garden during the warmer months but don?t let it get too cold.

Another plus to this plant is that deer and rabbit don?t seem to favor it. This plant likes to be watered well allowed to dry slightly especially during its resting period. It should be planted in well draining soil for the best results. However it does not like dry air.