Shrimp Plant

Justicia brandegeeana

Family: Acanthaceae

Identification not yet confirmed: a strong visual match, not confirmed by a tag reading.
Florida-Friendly
Hummingbird and butterfly attractor

Pet & Human Safety

People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Hazardous parts

Not yet checked.

Preparation

Not applicable: ornamental flowering perennial, not a food crop, and no human-toxicity source was found for it in the sources checked.

Hazard type

Not yet checked.

Hazard route

Not applicable: no sourced human-toxicity finding.

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is partial. Where a source covers a point, it is shown; where none does, the page says so.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

ASPCA has not evaluated this species under any of the common names checked. Do not confuse the unrelated ASPCA 'Shrimp Cactus' entry (Hatiora/Schlumbergera) with this plant: different genus, different family, not a match.

PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.

Look-alike warning

Could be mistaken for Golden shrimp plant (Pachystachys lutea), a different but related species. To tell them apart: No visual cue independently confirmed beyond the name; check the botanical name: golden shrimp plant has yellow bracts.. Don't apply the care information to the yellow-bracted plant: it's a separate species despite the similar common name.

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: Not given a specific USDA zone number; UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions states it 'can be grown throughout the state' of Florida and is designated Florida-Friendly.
Mature size: 2 to 6 ft tall.

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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