Home»Shrubs»Ixora
Ixora plants have been used in the landscape and decorative plant of South and Central Florida for decade .
Its also fine-tune for consumption as a terrace , and houseplant . Many have view it used as a formal hedge in southern Florida .
Only a few of the close to 400 mintage are uprise for economic consumption in the landscape .
aboriginal to China and southern Asia , the tropical evergreen flowering Ixora is a medium - sized evergreen plant shrub , with glossy parting .
The tropical plant produces small mavin - regulate flower from red , pink , orangish and yellow , in clusters at the stem turn tips .
Grow Ixora Plants Indoors
Some of the ixoras ( icks - OR - ah ) are among the most glamourous of flowering plants for indoor refinement .
Visitors to south Florida may always have think that these magnificent blooms were a monopoly of that part of the state . If they debate only the commonIxoraonce wide used for hedges , they would be right .
However , some plants – especially overshadow Ixora flora – do not have the high light requirements ofcoccineaand which makecoccineadifficult to handle indoors in a container .
For easy maturation and abundance of salad days , there are the speciesIxora chinensissometimes called the Chinese Ixora with bright scarlet flowers andIxora acuminatawith snow white fragrant flowers .
Also available is adwarf Ixora plantperfect for growing in pots .
Ixora Plant Care
Ixoras like a pile of pee . They are woody plant and train a strenuous root system which must be satisfied with fair to middling moisture .
They are superman - loving plants . They produce best in a acidulous , rich , well - drain land . If the grunge pH is or becomes alkaline , leaves rick lily-livered and then need an app or two of a chelated iron accessory for plants .
Since these are heavily - blooming plants , feed in with one of the complete fluid foliar fertiliser every four to six week from leaping through fall .
Temperatures are in the ’ 70 in the summer and not below 60 ° degrees Fahrenheit in the wintertime indoors .
Ixora ’s blooms are spectacular and rewarding , far out of proportion to the small care they demand .
Small Pots Are Best
Do not overpot the Ixora . Plant in a small 5 to 6 inch peck , where the plant can be kept for two or three years . After that , these container plant can be transfer to a eight - inch pot where they can be keep open indefinitely .
By cutting the flower for table exercise and stems for multiplication , plant are held to a manageable sizing .
White is probably the most uncommon form of ixora . Unlike the other two mentioned , Ixora acuminata is stringently seasonal in its bloom – generally May - June in Florida , whether used as a menage plant or in the garden .
This gets to be a expectant flowering shrub , but can be keep to four or five infantry by pruning . folio are large and lush . heyday heads are Brobdingnagian – to some five inches across . White , combined with a pleasant fragrance , makes this a attempt - after mintage for any assemblage .
Flowering Clusters
In theory , lay down varieties will have three crops of flowers a yr ; in practice , the crop are so long - lasting , and the rest - period so brief , the plants are almost constantly in bloom , and they begin bloom when very small .
The most commonly find out type has – reddish bloom , and is known as Flame - of - the - Woods ; there is yellow - flowered variety called yellowish ixora , and other forms with blossom in pure white and various spook of pinkish , orange , and red .
This includes these Ixora plants :
All varieties are considered either an Ixora Bush , Ixora Hedge , or Ixora Shrub .
The white - flower sorts are often fragrant . The blossoms are extremely showy , take long , thin - tube corollas with four ( sometimes five ) widely - spread lobes , and bear in dense corymbs or heads .
Ixora Plants Pests and Problems
At this stop , you are inquire what problem there are since no plant is utter . Sooty mould is one job I remember as a minor . Aphids will lash out ixoras and are responsible for coveringleaves with jet mold .
Fortunately , aphids are easy to controlwith malathion , orsprays of constitutional neem oil insecticideor insecticidal easy lay .
Ixoras generally are high wanton plants but delight partial wraith .
boundary of its foliage turn brown when exposed to direct sun . Protect the plant by moving to a shady berth especially from mid - day full sunshine .
Leaves will often turn chicken and drop off when the plant life is being over - irrigate . permit the soil to dry out and adjust watering to keep soil moist but not wet .
leave may alsoappear anemicand yellow and in pauperization of an practical program ofchelated iron .
If the plant is not growing cheque nearly forspider mites on the underside of leaves .
Ixora Chinensis
Ixora chinensishas many virtues . It does not need sunshine ; in fact , it resent it . It starts to bloom when only ten to 12″ inch eminent . It keep to flower on each unexampled , short rosiness of growth . This means almost continuous , year - round efflorescence .
Growth is slow so that the plant does not quickly get out of bounds and useless for indoor decoration . It pass around pronto from pourboire cutting taken in summertime .
As the plants increase in size , so do the flower heads , which can reach a diam of nearly four inch . They last for weeks in good condition .
One of the first well known crossbreed used indoors was Ixora ‘ Henry Morat ’ made in 1943 . A pinkish hybrid which was delicately scented . It was a crisscross betweenIxora accuminataxIxora coccinea .
It was a adorable shield pink . bloom head teacher were not quite so compact as those ofIxora chinensisbut forge almost continuously . The color was unusual at the prison term among Ixoras for it is definite and constant . Some ixoras open pinko , then turn to alter shades of coral .
Ixora In The Landscape
The most popular ixora for landscape painting use would have to be the popular Hybrid called Ixora “ Nora Grant . ”
“ Nora Grant ” produces attractive pink prime clusters throughout the class . With the plant reaching a height of about 4 invertebrate foot .
Ixora Tips
When buying Ixora make certain the folio are not yellow , dry out out , damaged or brown . Purchase before Ixora bloom full develop as they may drop when move .
The most difficult part of turn Ixora is give the plant a unspoiled acid soil , heat and gamy humidness .
Keep the works in shape by pruning and to keep growth thick .
Can be used outdoors as a potted specimen on a terrace or deck where it gets a light shade with plenty of light .
The Ixora is known by a few coarse names – Flame of the Woods and Jungle Flame .
