Sowing months
Jun–Aug
Sunlight
Full sun to part shade
Water
Weekly
Mature size
1.5–3 m
First harvest
Flowers from year two
Family
Acanthaceae
Where it grows
ground, terrace
Good for
biodiversity, healing
Sow in
monsoon
Care
Cut back by a third after flowering to keep it dense.
An unfussy evergreen shrub with white throated flowers that carpenter bees work.
Growing it
Cut back by a third after flowering to keep it dense.
What it is for
Traditional cough preparations; excellent hedging.