Native to Burma. Beautiful foliage plant for warm, humid gardens. Grows to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide; soft stemmed and more like a perennial than a shrub. Broadly oval, pointed leaves are 68 inches long, somewhat puckered, dark green but richly variegated with purple and iridescent silver-blue tints. Leaf undersides are bright purple. Pale violet, tubular flowers come in summer in 112 inches spikes; less showy than foliage.
Needs rich soil and regular watering. Tip-pinching creates bushier plants, but they often become straggly with age; replace or start over from cuttings. Feed potted plants once a month during growing season with a balanced liquid fertilizer. May survive freezing in Lower South if mulched heavily in late fall; or grow in container, move to shelter over winter. Can also be overwintered indoors in a sunny window.
