Pagoda Flower

Other common names: 圆锥大青

Pagoda flowers are a hardy shrub that is commonly seen in low-maintenance beds and biodiversity-attracting gardens. The showy, nectar-filled flowers are highly attractive to butterflies and nectivorous birds.

A perennial shrub, pagoda flowers are useful as biodiversity-attracting plants and perimeter plants to add a pop of colour to any garden.

Sun and soil needs:

This plant thrives in 4-6 hours of direct sunlight and more than 6 hours of indirect sunlight. This plant does not do well with more than 6 hours of direct sunlight and is not suitable for exposed gardens like on rooftops.

Plants do best in pots with loamy soil at least 30cm deep, or in true ground. However, if planted in true ground and left with a lot of space, the plant can rapidly grow suckers and spread. These plants are vulnerable to root rot, so ensure that your pots drain well, and that your soil has plenty of organic matter to let the roots breathe. This plant is relatively drought tolerant and can withstand some neglect.

Growing:

Pagoda flowers are rapid growers but do benefit from being fed high potassium and phosphorus fertilisers to encourage flowering. This shrub can grow up to 1.5m in height and will need to be pruned regularly. Regular pruning after flowering will keep the plant healthy and neat, and encourage a bushier growth. Remove suckers regularly to manage its spread.

Propagation:

Pagoda flowers can be propagated from suckers or woody cuttings with rooting hormone.

Common problems & solutions:

This plant is relatively resistant to pests and disease if kept healthy.

Pagoda flowers will grow leggy when left unmanaged. Encourage bushiness with regular pruning.

If your plant has few to no flowers, you can fertilise the plant with fertilisers high in phosphorus and potassium. These nutrients encourage root and flower growth, which are important for the plant to produce more fruit.

If the plant does not receive enough light, it will stop producing flowers. Prune surrounding plants or move the plant to a sunnier spot to promote flower growth.

Aphids, mealy bugs, whiteflies, and spider mites often infest the plant if it has underlying problems like repeated wilting from heat stress. Mechanical pest control methods like pruning the infested parts are the best methods for managing these pests in the short term, but resolving the underlying problem will prevent them in the long term.