Ixora

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowering is best with at least six hours of direct sun. Light afternoon shade helps in very hot, dry locations.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist during active growth, but never waterlogged. Water less in winter, allowing the surface to begin drying between waterings.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained, acidic soil, ideally pH 5.0-6.0. Use ericaceous potting compost in containers; alkaline soil commonly causes yellow leaves.

Height

4-6 ft (1.2-1.8 m), sometimes reaching 10-12 ft (3-3.7 m) when mature and unpruned; dwarf cultivars stay smaller

Spread

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m)

Flowers

Mainly late spring through autumn, potentially year-round in tropical conditions; dense clusters of scarlet flowers, with orange, pink, yellow and white forms also available.

Foliage

Evergreen. Opposite, leathery, glossy dark-green leaves with smooth edges and pointed tips.

Growth

Moderate in warm, humid conditions; slow in cool weather.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.1 ft (0.65 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.7 ft (0.81 m)

4. After 3 years

   3 ft (0.96 m)

5. After 5 years

   4 ft (1.3 m)

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Slow

• Water deeply when the soil surface starts to dry; empty container saucers after watering.
• Feed during spring and summer with a fertilizer for acid-loving shrubs, following the label rate.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the roots, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Use rainwater where tap water is hard, and keep plants away from lime-rich soil and concrete runoff.
• Bring container plants under cover before nights fall below 50°F (10°C), providing bright light and frost-free warmth.

Pruning. Lightly shorten shoots after a main flush of flowers to keep the shrub compact, and remove dead or damaged wood as needed. Avoid repeated shearing, which removes developing flower buds.

Late winter

Check sheltered plants for scale insects and mealybugs; water sparingly without letting the root ball dry out completely.

Spring

Repot crowded container plants into slightly larger pots with fresh ericaceous compost, and begin feeding as growth resumes.

Late spring

Move pots outdoors once nights remain above 50°F (10°C), gradually introducing them to stronger sunlight.

Summer

Keep roots evenly moist, maintain mulch and inspect yellowing leaves for signs of iron deficiency.

After the main flowering flush

Lightly trim long shoots to shape the shrub without cutting back the whole canopy.

Early autumn

In cool climates, check pots for pests and move them into warm, bright shelter before chilly nights arrive.

• Plant as a flowering hedge in frost-free gardens, allowing enough room to avoid frequent clipping.
• Group beside crotons and cordylines for contrasting leaf colour and a tropical effect.
• Use a compact cultivar in a large patio container, especially where garden soil is alkaline.
• Mass along a sunny entrance border for repeated blocks of flower colour and evergreen structure.

Garden styles it suits: Modern tropical, Tropical, Luxury resort, Modern courtyard, Florida subtropical and Caribbean.

Plant it with: Gardenia, Croton, Cordyline, Tropical hibiscus and Bromeliads.

Wildlife: The nectar-rich flowers attract butterflies and other insects; hummingbirds may visit where they occur.

• Yellow leaves with green veins usually indicate iron deficiency caused by alkaline soil or water. Check soil pH, switch to rainwater where practical and use an appropriate chelated iron treatment; grow in ericaceous compost if the ground is unsuitable.
• Scale insects and mealybugs collect on stems and leaf undersides. Remove small infestations by hand and treat persistent infestations with a labelled horticultural oil or insecticidal soap.
• Sooty mould grows on honeydew from sap-feeding pests. Control the insects, manage ants that protect them and gently wash affected foliage.
• Root rot can follow persistent waterlogging. Improve drainage, let excess water escape from pots and avoid watering already-wet soil.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. Reliable information about ingestion of individual parts, including the berries, is limited, so do not treat it as an edible plant or allow pets to graze on it.

• Pentas (Pentas lanceolata)

  Pentas has five-pointed flowers and softer, usually hairy leaves; ixora flowers have four lobes and the leaves are glossy and leathery.

• Lantana (Lantana camara)

  Lantana has rough, toothed, aromatic leaves and often multicoloured flower heads; ixora has smooth-edged, glossy leaves and longer tubular flowers.

The species name coccinea means scarlet, referring to the flower colour of the typical form.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe stem cuttings in summer and root them in a free-draining medium with warmth and high humidity. Seed is possible, but seedlings may not match the parent plant.

Accepted botanical name

Ixora coccinea

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states, Pacific Basin, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands.

Native range

Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.