Justicia pilosella (Gregg's tube tongue)

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Justicia pilosella

Gregg's tube tongue

Acanthaceae

Southern Texas and northeastern Mexico

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–10

Overview

Justicia pilosella, known as Gregg's tube tongue or hairy tube-tongue, is a low, spreading perennial of southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, growing only 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) tall and slightly wider. It forms a wiry, finely hairy mound of small, oval to lance-shaped leaves 0.5-1.5 inches (1.3-4 cm) long on slender stems. From spring through fall, especially after rain, it bears slim two-lipped tubular flowers about 0.75 inch (2 cm) long, in orange-red to salmon or brick tones, held singly in the leaf axils. Hummingbirds and butterflies visit the tubular flowers, and it serves as a larval host for some butterfly species. J. pilosella grows on dry, rocky, limestone and caliche soils in thornscrub, brushland, and open ground. It tolerates heat, drought, and poor alkaline soil once established, staying low and compact. Its small size and modest flowering give limited mass in a planting, and it can look sparse outside its peak bloom flushes.

Native Range

Native to southern Texas and northeastern Mexico, especially the Rio Grande plains and adjacent Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Coahuila. It grows on dry, rocky, limestone and caliche soils in thornscrub, brushland, and open flats.

Suggested Uses

Grown in rock gardens, dry borders, xeriscapes, and native and pollinator plantings across hot, low-water regions. Its low habit suits the front of beds, gaps between stones, and small containers. The tubular flowers support hummingbirds and butterflies in habitat gardens.

How to Identify

Look for a low, wiry, hairy mound 4-12 inches (10-30 cm) tall with small oval leaves and slim, two-lipped tubular flowers in orange-red to salmon, set singly in the leaf axils. The slender tube and the low, spreading habit on limestone soils are the main marks. The orange tubular flowers separate it from white-flowered Justicia spp. relatives of the same region.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 1'

Width/Spread8" - 1'4"

Colors

Flower Colors

red

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~24 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

Tubular orange-red flowers appear from spring through fall, flushing most strongly after rain in warm weather. Individual flowers are short-lived, but the plant reblooms in waves through the warm months. Bloom slows in drought and stops with cold.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

orange-red to salmon

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-12 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 Range7.0 - 8.3(Alkaline)

357912

Soil Types

rocky sand loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in full sun to light shade on dry, well-drained, rocky or sandy alkaline soil, including limestone and caliche. Water occasionally to establish, then rely mainly on rainfall, as the plant tolerates drought and declines in wet, poorly drained ground. It needs little or no fertilizer in lean native soil. In zones 8 and warmer it is grown outdoors year-round, dying back in hard freezes and resprouting from the base. A light trim keeps the low mound dense and tidy. Propagation is from seed or from softwood cuttings taken in the warm season.

Pruning

Pruning is minimal. A light shearing after a bloom flush or in late winter keeps the plant compact and encourages fresh growth and more flowers. Frost-damaged stems are cut back to live wood in spring.