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Pseuderanthemum variabile

pastel flower

Acanthaceae Eastern Australia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Container Friendly

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 10–11

Overview

Pseuderanthemum variabile is a small, spreading perennial or soft subshrub native to eastern Australia, growing 8-16 inches (20-40 cm) tall and spreading 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) wide as a loose groundcover. The slender, branching stems carry paired leaves that vary widely in shape and color, from narrow to oval, 0.4-2 inches (1-5 cm) long, and from plain green to purple-tinged. Small tubular flowers about 0.4-0.6 inch (1-1.5 cm) across open in white to pale mauve, each marked with purple spots and streaks in the throat. Flowering continues over a long season from spring into autumn, with scattered blooms much of the year in frost-free climates. The plant grows quickly but is soft and frost-tender, dying back or being killed by cold. It serves as a larval food plant for several native butterflies. In dry or exposed positions the foliage wilts and the plant becomes sparse.

Native Range

Native to eastern Australia, from Queensland through New South Wales to Victoria. Grows in the understorey of open eucalypt forests and woodlands, in dappled shade on a range of well-drained soils. It is common on the margins of rainforest and along moist gullies at low to moderate elevations.

Suggested Uses

Grown as a shaded groundcover, an understorey filler beneath shrubs and trees, and in containers and hanging baskets in frost-free gardens, spaced 12-18 inches (30-45 cm) apart. Used in native and butterfly gardens as a larval food plant. In cooler climates it is kept as a frost-free pot plant rather than planted in the open ground.

How to Identify

Recognized as a low, spreading plant with paired leaves that vary markedly in width and color, and small white to pale mauve tubular flowers spotted with purple in the throat. The flowers have five spreading lobes and sit singly or in small groups in the leaf axils and at the stem tips. The wide variation in leaf shape on a single plant, combined with the spotted pale flowers, helps separate it from similar small understorey herbs.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height8" - 1'4"

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~24 weeks

Spring Summer Fall

Flowers over a long period from spring into autumn, and scattered through the year in frost-free, sheltered positions. Individual flowers are short-lived, but the plant produces them in succession over many months. Bloom is heaviest in the warmer months with adequate moisture.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

white with purple markings

Foliage Description

green to purple-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-5 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 Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow in part to full shade in moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, sheltered from hot afternoon sun and from frost. Water regularly to keep the soil from drying out, since the soft foliage wilts quickly in drought and exposed sites. Pinch or trim the stems to keep the plant bushy, as it tends to become open and straggly with age. In climates with frost it is grown as a container plant or treated as a short-lived plant renewed from cuttings, which root easily. Few pests trouble it, though snails and caterpillars chew the soft leaves. It self-seeds lightly in suitable damp, shaded ground.

Pruning

Trim the stems back by up to a third in spring or after a flush of bloom to keep the plant compact and leafy. Remove straggly or frost-damaged growth as it appears. The plant tolerates being cut back hard and reshoots from the base in warm conditions.

Pruning Schedule

spring