CALL US +1.772.337.1959
Location
Butterfly Garden
Chinese Rain Bell
- Common Name: Chinese Rain Bell
- Scientific Name: Strobilanthes hamiltoniana
- Family Name: Acanthaceae
- Origin: South Asia
- Height: 5 to 6 ft
- Width: 5 to 6 ft
- Growth: Fast
- Zone: USDA Zones 9 through 11
- Light needs: Full sun to part sun.
- Salt tolerance: Low
- Soil/pH/Texture: Prefers a well-drained, moist soil with an acidic pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
- Moisture: Soil should be kept moist but not waterlogged. Tolerant of humid conditions.
- Drought tolerance: Moderate
- Pests/Diseases: No pests or diseases are of particular concern.
- Growing conditions: It should be grown in a warm, sunny, and humid area. This plant grows quickly and can get leggy so it may need an occasional trim. It can also be kept indoors or on a porch in a large container. This plant is not frost tolerant, and it should be kept indoors if temperatures dip below freezing.
- Characteristics: This plant grows to form a large, leggy shrub. Stems are numerous, green, and flexible. Leaves grow oppositely and have toothed margins. Flowers grow on the outermost, thinnest stems in clusters. Flowers don’t usually bloom at once, and often you will see fully grown flowers next to the green, circular buds. The flowers are magenta and have a long, bell or horn-like shape. Cultivated varieties do not usually produce seeds.
- Propagation: By cuttings.
- Wildlife: The flowers attract pollinator insects with long tongues, such as certain bee species and swallowtail butterflies.
- Facts: This species is named after Francis Buchanan-Hamilton, a Scottish botanist who described the species in 1808.
- Designer considerations: It is commonly planted as a hedge or border next to walkways and benches. It is also a good choice for butterfly gardens because of its flowers. It should be paired with more compact plants to balance out its legginess.
Chinese Rain Bell