Re: Odontonema strictum/O. calystachyum

Ellen and Todd,

I have seen O. strictum growing to at least 8 feet
tall by wide, but only with supplemental water in
summer.  It is a problem in Florida because it does
reseed easily in their summer wet climate, I haven't
heard of it being a problem in California, even in
year round moister areas such as the immediate coast
or along drainage courses.  It just doesn't get the
heat here in coastal northern California(Berkeley), to
flower well, and even in southern California, it tends
to bloom in late fall into winter, as opposed to
summer into fall as in the deep southern USA or
Florida.  It is also a popular summer tender annual in
hot summer midwest/east coast USA, where it is not
hardy as a perennial beyond USDA Zone 9.

I also have tried O. callystachym, which is most
definitely a winter bloomer here, although marginal in
bloom due to our cooler daytime winter temps than
southern California, where it can be in massive purple
bloom in light shade/morning sun in December/January,
and has much thicker more congested bloom spikes than
O. strictum.  The foliage tends to always get
chlorotic in full sun here in winter, but has proven
to be hardy in our typical light frosts, and also
wants to get 6 to 8 feet tall.  One plant in a more
exposed sun situation has never bloomed, the other
plant within a thicket of other vegetation has some
sporadic bloom which started in January, and is still
blooming in July.  I can highly recommend it for
southern California if you have the room for it, and
it likes similar conditions to the South African
Acanthaceae shrub Mackaya bella.  The large succulent
foliage also is a nice backdrop for smaller
growing/fine textured accent plants.

David Feix,
Landscape Designer specializing in subtropicals and
mediterraneans appropriate for coastal California,
(especially fall and winter blooming species)
Berkeley, California


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