Barleria spp.

Bushviolets

Acanthaceae

Tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 9–11

Overview

Barleria spp. is a genus of about 300 species of shrubs and subshrubs in the family Acanthaceae, native to the tropics and subtropics of Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Plants are mostly low and bushy, 1-6 feet (0.3-1.8 m) tall, and many carry sharp axillary spines, a feature reflected in names such as porcupine flower. The opposite leaves are simple and often softly hairy, sometimes with bristle-tipped margins. Two-lipped tubular flowers 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long open from overlapping bracts in blue, purple, violet, white, yellow, or orange, depending on species, set singly or in dense spikes. Barleria spp. grows in dry woodland, bushveld, scrub, and rocky ground, and several species flower over a long warm-season period. The genus is frost-tender and suited to warm, frost-free climates. Some species, including B. cristata, the Philippine violet, are grown as flowering hedges, while spiny kinds form barrier plantings. A few have naturalized and become weedy in warm regions, and the spines on some species make them awkward to handle.

Native Range

Native across tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas, with most species in Africa. Plants grow in dry woodland, bushveld, thornscrub, grassland, and rocky slopes, usually in full sun to light shade on well-drained soils.

Suggested Uses

Used as flowering hedges, low screens, mass plantings, and groundcover in warm, frost-free gardens, with B. cristata and B. obtusa spaced 18-30 inches (45-75 cm) apart. Spiny species form barrier and security hedges. In cooler areas plants are grown in containers and overwintered under cover, and the flowers draw butterflies and bees.

How to Identify

Identify Barleria spp. by its opposite simple leaves, frequently spiny leaf axils, and two-lipped tubular flowers that emerge from a pair of leafy or bristly bracts. Flower colour spans blue, violet, white, yellow, and orange across the genus. The combination of axillary spines, bracted two-lipped flowers, and the explosive seed capsules typical of the acanthus family separates it from similar tropical shrubs.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 6'

Width/Spread1' - 5'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~12 weeks

Summer Fall

Many Barleria spp. flower heavily from late summer into autumn, while in warm climates some bloom in flushes through much of the year. Each two-lipped flower is short-lived, but a succession opens from the bracts over weeks. Ripe capsules split open to fling out the seeds.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

blue, purple, violet, white, yellow, or orange

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 5-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Barleria spp. are grown in full sun to light shade in well-drained soil and tolerate heat and short drought once established. Even moisture during the growing season supports the heaviest flowering, while winter wet and cold cause dieback. The genus is frost-tender, hardy in roughly USDA zones 9b-11, and is cut back by frost but often resprouts. Plants are pruned after flowering to stay compact, as they grow leggy with age. Propagation is from cuttings or seed, both quick and easy. Spiny species are kept away from paths so their thorns are not brushed against.

Pruning

Plants are cut back after the main flowering flush, or in early spring in frost-prone areas, to keep them bushy and remove old or frosted wood. Light tip-pruning during growth encourages branching and more flowers. Hard renovation pruning is tolerated by most species.