Golden Shrimp Plant (Pachystachys lutea): Lollipop Blooms for Bright Indirect Light

Botanical Name: Pachystachys lutea

Golden Shrimp Plant is an evergreen shrub with branching, woody stems. Long, dark-green leaves grow in opposite pairs, deeply veined.

The real attraction: magnificent flower spikes with bright golden bracts growing to 4 in (10 cm) long, lasting spring through summer's end.

These long-lasting, upright bracts give the plant its other common name, Lollipop Plant.

Long, white flowers emerge from bracts, opening in succession from bottom to top.

It's in the Acanthaceae family with the other shrimp plant, Justicia brandegeana. They look similar; Pachystachys has bigger leaves and upright (not arching) flower spikes.

Pruning Tip

Regular pruning controls growth and prevents legginess. Prune back hard—by half when necessary—when new growth starts in spring.

Pinch Your Plant Pinch growing tips often to encourage branching. You'll get a compact, bushy plant. Propagate stem tip cuttings for more plants.

Golden Shrimp Plant is a perennial shrub lasting several years. It gets tall and leggy without regular pruning.

Repot in spring when roots show through pot bottom.

Golden Shrimp Plant Care Quick Reference

Origin: South America

Height: Up to 3 ft (90 cm) if not pruned back

Light: Needs plenty of light to bloom. Bright light, no direct sun.

Water: Keep soil evenly moist spring through fall, slightly drier in winter. Leaves may drop if soil dries out.

Humidity: Average room humidity

Temperature: Average room temperatures 65–75°F (18–24°C)

Soil: Any good-quality potting mix

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks spring through early fall with high-potassium liquid fertilizer diluted by half

Propagation: Take 4 in (10 cm) stem tip cuttings in early summer