Growing up in the north, I fell in love with northern flowers. They tend to be bold and full of bright colors. When you live in Florida, it can be hard to give up some of those gorgeous flowers. But over time I have learned to really enjoy some tropicals that evoke a whimsy of their own. Like Shrimp plants. Just look at this angle, see the shrimp? Especially the tail.
Shrimp plants are not native. They actually originate from Mexico. But you will still see them in many Florida butterfly gardens and in garden beds all over. They naturalized in Florida. In fact the UF extension rates them as Florida-Friendly. These plants are easy to grow once established and butterflies and hummingbirds cannot resist them. They are safe for outdoor cats and dogs too.
They provide great color and bloom on and off in spring and fall. While the color is bold, the actual bloom is not. It is a simple white small flower. The bracts of the plant are what actually change color. Take a closer look at the markings on the tip of the bract. So cool.
I am testing a red shrimp plant in part of the butterfly garden right now, and have also planted a yellow shrimp plant. If they take off, then I can easily propagate more from cuttings to fill some open spaces in the garden.
Shrimp plants can get to be 3 or 4 feet tall, so they are good for middle rows if you have a wide garden bed.
So for now we are enjoying shrimp. Heck what’s more Florida than that? I will let you know how the Shrimp plants fare in the garden!
