The Genus Justicia
Chuparosas & Water Willows
Family: Acanthaceae
The genus Justicia has almost a thousand species in its ranks (983 accepted species at the time of this writing). They are native to tropical to warm temperate regions of the Americas, India, and Africa and a reminder that Arizona was once tropical. The species that occur here are one of many remnant tropical species. Before the last ice age, Arizona was within a tropical area, and as it got colder, most of the tropics receded south. Some species found niches and adapted. It’s part of what makes Arizona flora so diverse and interesting.
Besides the plants used in our landscapes, you might be familiar with some of the tropical house plants that are in this genus.
Recently, the Justicia genus has been the subject of scientific investigation into its phytochemical constituents and medicinal uses.
The following butterflies use Justicia species as larval hosts:
Malachite (Siproeta stelenes ssp. biplagiata)
Rosita Patch (Chlosyne rosita)
Chara Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas ssp. chara)
Justicia brandageeana
Shrimp Plant
Of all the Justicia species we promote, this one’s native region is most distant. It is an evergreen shrub native to Mexico. It is a sprawling, suckering, tropical evergreen shrub which grows to 3’ tall (rarely more) with spindly limbs. Grows up to 3-4' tall and wide, flowers during warm weather. The actual flower is the little white tubular flower with purple streaks. The red and yellow parts are specialized leaves (bracts). Flowers appear just about year round, in warm weather.
Foliage drops in the mid 20s (°F) but this plant is root hardy into the upper teens °F. Full sun to bright shade. Looks better with regular water, but can tolerate periods of drought (will drop leaves during that time). Plants in more sun will produce more flowers, but will require more water. Plants in more sun will also be more compact. Because this plant grows well, and blooms in the shade, if a bit less than in sun, it is a wonderful option for places like under mesquite trees where few other plants will thrive, which is why we include it in our repertoire.
We like this plant because it’s almost always blooming and thus feeding hummingbirds. Butterfly larval food plant for the tiny checkerspot (Dymasia dymas), Texas crescent (Anthanassa texana), and the pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos).
The Huastec people of Mexico have used this Shrimp Plant as traditional medicine for a number of uses, including treating dysentery, wounds and gastrointestinal disorders.
Justicia is named after after James Justice (1698-1763), a Scottish botanist and horticulturist, son of Sir James Justice. He was apparently the first person to successfully bring a pineapple to the fruiting stage in Scotland, became involved in the tulip bulb craze and died bankrupt. The specific epithet is named for the American botanist Townshend Stith Brandegee (1843–1925). It is sometimes misspelled "brandegeana".
The native range of this species is Mexico to Central America, primarily in seasonally dry tropical biomes.
Justicia californica
Chuparosa
This is an almost succulent-like shrub with leaves that can come and go. Stems are photosynthetic, so during periods of drought, the leaves will be shed. Leaves may also drop due to cold. These shrubs can get enormous, and are usually sort of a rounded shape, reaching about 5x5’ or sometimes even larger. People often plant these in locations that don’t allow enough room and are forced to butcher the plant, which doesn’t look good. Sometimes the entire plant is covered in the flowers, making the plant look like a ball of fire.
Chuparosa grows best in full sun, even reflected heat. Though they can take some shade, they’ll be leggier, and won’t bloom as much. Grow in full to part sun, with moderate water, hardy to 20° F.
In the wild, you usually “hear” the shrub before you see it, because the hummingbirds are fighting over it. This species is so important to hummingbirds, that it is one of the species whose distribution helps predict migration patterns of hummingbirds as they follow this plant. Butterfly larval food plant for the tiny checkerspot (Dymasia dymas), Texas crescent (Anthanassa texana), and the pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos).
The flowers are edible and sweet. Sometimes they are just sucked for their nectar, but they can also be added to food.
Justicia is named after after James Justice (1698-1763), a Scottish botanist and horticulturist, son of Sir James Justice. He was apparently the first person to successfully bring a pineapple to the fruiting stage in Scotland, became involved in the tulip bulb craze and died bankrupt, while californica means of or from California.
Found in dry, sandy, soils, in washes and canyons below 2,500 ft. in Arizona, California, Sonora, and Baja California.
Justicia californica on iNaturalist
Photo by Mountain States Wholesale Nursery.
Sometimes chuparosa sports a yellow flower, sometimes called chuparosa amarillo, photo by Zachery Berry, SEINET
Justicia candicans
Arizona Water Willow
Semi-evergreen shrub growing 3x3’. Reddish orange tubular flowers can appear almost any time of year. This plant’s blooming habits has relegated it to one of those plants that are used to fill “nectar gaps”—periods of time when little is blooming. This plant is often blooming when little else is. Though most plants are reddish orange, rarely yellow flowering plants appear in the wild and are rarely available in the nursery trade.
This plant can tolerate full to part sun, but avoid reflective heat. More sun will produce more flowers, but plants in more sun will want more water. This plant is a riparian species in the wild, and as such it needs more water to look its best. But it can tolerate periods of drought. Plants will be defoliated in temperatures approaching the mid 20s °F, and some tips may be damaged, but they can be frozen back at even lower temperatures and still grow back, given some care in the spring.
As with most Justicia species, this is an important nectar plant for hummingbirds. Butterfly larval food plant for the tiny checkerspot (Dymasia dymas), Texas crescent (Anthanassa texana), and the pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos).
The flowers are edible.
Formerly known as Jacobinia obovata. Justicia is named after after James Justice (1698-1763), a Scottish botanist and horticulturist, son of Sir James Justice. He was apparently the first person to successfully bring a pineapple to the fruiting stage in Scotland, became involved in the tulip bulb craze and died bankrupt, while candicans means white, probably referring to white pubescence of the leaves that give their leaves an ashy appearance.
Found in dry, sandy, soils, in washes and canyons below 2,500 ft. in Arizona, Sonora, Sinaloa, and as far south as Oaxaca.
Sometimes Justicia candicans sports a yellow flower. Photo by Sue Carnahan, SEINET
Justicia longii
Long-Flower Tubetongue
This is a small plant that is easy to miss on a hike, party because it seems to be a favorite plant for animals that browse plants. One almost never sees one not eaten unless it is growing in an out of the way location. Plants are green, almost succulent—the stems are photosynthetic and leaves drop with cold or drought. In winter, the plants are purple (anthocyanin response to cold). White, tubular flowers appear spring through fall. These plants are small, about a foot and a half tall and wide.
Grow in full to part sun, with moderate to low water when established. They are hardy to about 25° F but comes up from the roots if frozen.
Flowers used by hummingbirds. Butterfly larval food plant for the tiny checkerspot (Dymasia dymas), Texas crescent (Anthanassa texana), and the pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos).
The flowers are edible.
Formerly known as Siphonoglossa longiflora. Justicia is named for James Justice (1698–1763) a Scottish botanist and horticulturalist, while longii is an honorific for Dr. Robert W. Long.
Found in rocky washes and arroyos in desert scrub from 3,000-5,000 ft. in southern Arizona from the Gila River in Graham County, south to Sinaloa, Mexico near the Rio de Bavispe, with a disjunct population in Texas.
Justicia sonorae
Sonoran Water Willow
This is a smallish shrub, growing to about 2’ tall and wide. They can be evergreen in warm spots, but may drop foliage in cooler weather, or the foliage may turn somewhat purple. Almost any time of year plants produce tubular purple flowers. Plants reseed readily in the landscape.
Plant in full sun to even shady spots. Plants are leggier in the shade, but will still bloom there and are a nice option for shady spots. Plants in more sun will bloom more profusely and be more compact, but will require more water. Cold in the mid 20s °F will freeze plants back but they can re-emerge from the base, and may be able to withstand cold temps into the teens.
Flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds. Butterfly larval food plant for the tiny checkerspot (Dymasia dymas), Texas crescent (Anthanassa texana), and the pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos).
The flowers are edible.
Justicia is named for James Justice (1698–1763) a Scottish botanist and horticulturalist, while the species name sonorae refers to the region this plant is native to.
Found in thornscrub and desert areas, in riparian zones, of Sonora, Mexico.
Justicia spicigera
Mexican honeysuckle
Evergreen shrub growing about 4x4’ though if they are near other plants in shady locations, they can scramble up higher. Plants can be quite lush in the shade. Orange, tubular flowers appear almost any time of year.
Plants can take full sun with more water, and may be yellow from summer sun. Avoid reflective heat. Plants also do well in shade, and often look better there. They will still bloom in the shade, though perhaps not quite as profusely, and will require less water there. Cold hardy to around 10°F, though they may be defoliated in the low 20s, upper teens.
Flowers loved by hummingbirds and since this plant blooms when many other plants are not blooming, it helps fill those nectar gaps. Butterfly larval food plant for the tiny checkerspot (Dymasia dymas), Texas crescent (Anthanassa texana), and the pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos).
Mexican honeysuckle can be made into a tea by boiling the leaves in water. As the leaves boil, they dye the water deep blue or indigo. A plant of considerable economic importance in Guatemala and other parts of Central America, where it is more commonly used in laundering linen, at least in country regions. Many homes at middle and low elevations have one or more bushes of the plant grown for this purpose, and large bales of fresh branches are often carried up to the highlands for sale in the markets. Mexican honeysuckle has also been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of various ailments.
Justicia is named for James Justice (1698–1763) a Scottish botanist and horticulturalist. The specific epithet (spicigera) is from a Latin word spīca meaning “ear of grain” in reference to the flowers being arranged in a spike.
Native to northeastern Mexico, south into tropical Mexico.