When I was a kid, there was an older couple living right next door to us who had a small, well-maintained back yard. I don’t remember the couple’s family name (or even their first names), so I’ll just call them Mr. and Mrs. Jones. Anyhow, I can’t recall much about Mrs. Jones because I hardly ever saw her. Even though there was a lovely garden in the back yard with a variety of vegetables and an assortment of pretty flowers, Mrs. Jones didn’t seem to take much interest in it. Mr. Jones, on the other hand, was an entirely different story; he was very passionate about gardening and ventured out into the back yard quite often, much to our (the neighbourhood kids) dismay.

You see, Mr. Jones was so passionate about his gardening hobby that he couldn’t restrain himself from sharing it with everyone. And I mean everyone – including the neighbourhood kids. If you happened to be walking by his yard while he was tending to his garden, he would greet you (that was nice), but when you stopped to say hello (because he was your neighbour and you’d been taught to be polite), it was his cue to begin the ‘all about vegetable-growing’ lecture (and that was not so nice). If that happened, you were trapped there for, possibly, the next half hour. And while Mr. Jones rambled on, always about his tomatoes (his pride and joy), you snuck a peek at the other kids playing outside who returned sympathetic looks (or amused ones), along with smirks and giggles. And no kid came to your rescue, not even your own siblings, if you had any. You were completely on your own; everyone kept a safe distance from the ‘unlucky’ kid who got ‘nabbed’ by Mr. Jones, the ‘tomato guy’.

Sometimes, while playing sports, some kid would kick or bat a ball past Mr. Jones’s yard while he was working in his garden, and one of us had to go get it. But none of us would volunteer. Some poor schmuck ended up going because it was his or her turn, or because she or he was the youngest, smallest or weakest of the group. And sometimes the turn was mine. When that happened, I ran as fast as I could past Mr. Jones’s yard to avoid being ‘nabbed’. Sometimes it worked and I got away, sometimes it didn’t and I’d find myself smiling stupidly while Mr. Jones rambled on about his tomatoes.

Other times, we kicked or batted a ball into Mr. Jones’s fenced yard, and a) if he was in there, you’d stand at a safe distance and hope he’d throw it back out or b) if he wasn’t out at that moment, you hoped he’d throw it out when he was in his yard. The worst case scenario is that he didn’t know a ball was in his yard and you had to approach him another day or later that day when he came out, and ask him for it. That was not something any of us looked forward to doing. If it was your ball, you had one of two choices to make: 1) ask for it and hope he wasn’t in the tomato-lecturing mood (which never happened), or 2) just forget about it. Many times, balls were written off if they weren’t important enough to seek.

I had forgotten about Mr. Jones; after all, it’s been so many years. It was my brother that reminded me of him a few months ago. I laughed heartily when the memory of him was brought to mind. But, just so my readers know, Mr. Jones was a very nice man. It’s not that we didn’t like him, we did, but we were kids and gardening, flower growing and plant grooming was, well, for old folks – people over 30. So he was nice, but his hobbies (and lectures) were boring. Then.

Many years later, I realize that I now share Mr. Jones’s love for gardening, even though I’m restricted to indoor gardening, at least for the time being. And I can just as easily talk the ear off of anyone willing to listen to me ramble on about individual houseplants, what makes them special and how to care for them. But instead of holding people hostage in real time, I opted to ramble on about plants on a website. My readers can venture over to my little spot in cyberspace of their own accord, and they are free to run away at any time.

Today I’m going to ramble on about Strobilanthes Dyerianus, known as the Persian Shield, which is a stunning foliage plant. You are free to flee – with the click of a button – or to stay and read on. For those choosing to stick around, here’s how to care for this lovely plant.


Caring For The Persian Shield

Strobilanthes Dyerianus, commonly-referred to as Persian Shield, is a species in the genus Strobilanthes, which boasts about 250 flowering plants that belong to the plant family Acanthaceae (or Acanthus). The Strobilanthes members are mostly native to tropical Asia, although a few can be found in temperate regions of the continent. Even though there are over 200 types of Strobilanthes, there is only one (as far as I can gather) that is grown indoors, and that’s the S. Dyerianus.

This charming plant with its shiny, lance-shaped, marbled, dark green and metallic purple leaves commands attention and is best displayed on its own. Long-lasting, pale blue, funnel-shaped flowers are produced under the most ideal conditions, but they are not very showy; they can be pinched off. Although this is an exceptional choice for indoors with its dazzling foliage, it requires specific care to look its best. If its needs are not provided accordingly, the Persian Shield can prove to be quite difficult as a houseplant.

Adequate humidity is one of the most important requirements in keeping a Strobilanthes Dyerianus healthy. High humidity is absolutely essential and not something that can be compromised. If the air is too dry, the tips and margins of the plant’s leaves will brown; chronic dry air can cause entire leaves to dry to a crisp, and also send out an invitation to spider mites to move in. If your home does not offer enough humidity, remedy the situation by adding a humidifier nearby, by placing the plant on a pebble tray filled with water, by double-potting and filling the spaces in between the containers with moist peat, by grouping plants together to form a microclimate with higher humidity, by growing the plant in a room naturally higher in humidity (bathroom) or by growing it in a greenhouse (if you are fortunate enough to have one!).

Use an airy, quick-draining soil and keep it evenly moist during the warm months. Allow it to dry slightly between each watering session, and then water thoroughly. During the cooler months, water carefully to avoid root rot; allow the soil to dry out a little more. Never let the soil dry out completely; the plant does not handle drought very well. Switch to hydroculture for an alternative growing style. Conversion is fairly quick with very few signs of stress. You can transplant the entire specimen, or you can take cuttings, root them in water and then plant them in clay pebbles when water roots form. If you decide to transfer from soil to pellets from the get go, provide the Persian Shield with high levels of humidity to help it get through the transition effortlessly.

Choose a location that offers bright, indirect light; protect the plant from the direct rays of the summer sun. Strobilanthes Dyerianus does not mind a little early morning eastern or some late afternoon western sunshine, so don’t be afraid to try out those locations. In the event that your plant complains that there is too much light, just relocate it to a shadier spot. Average household temperatures are fine. The plant prefers to be kept warm; always protect it from cold drafts. Do not expose Strobilanthes Dyerianus to temperatures below 13° Celsius (55° F).

A Persian Shield only looks best in its juvenile stage. As it ages, the plant declines and the colours fade, making it less attractive and not very desirable. This does not mean that it should be treated as a temporary room accent and then disposed of. This is a fast-growing specimen that roots easily; new stock can be raised from cuttings, allowing you to enjoy its majestic presence in your home indefinitely. Older specimens should be pruned often to promote a more compact appearance and avoid lankiness. Regular pruning also maintains a desired shape and size.

Unfortunately, despite its good looks, Strobilanthes Dyerianus is not readily available at local greenhouses or other retailers. Don’t expect to be taking one home any time soon because you may have a hard time tracking one down. Because it’s a little bit more challenging than the common indoor favourites, the Persian Shield is not a plant that anyone looking to turn a profit is eager to add to their store’s inventory. Nonetheless, this beautiful specimen does show up at local shops periodically, most often in 4” pots that are very inexpensive ($2.00 - $3.00). If you happen to run across a rarely-available Strobilanthes Dyerianus at such a great price, give it a try. It may require a little added effort, but it is well worth it.

* photo of Strobilanthes Dyerianus are courtesy of www.toptropicals.com *


Incidentally...

After reading about Mr. Jones, you might be asking: Why didn’t I just walk away when he rambled on? Or why didn’t any of us ever just walk away? I don’t really know. It may have something to do with our upbringing. We were taught to be very polite to grown-ups, to listen to them (maybe we took it too literally, as in Mr. Jones’s tomato-preaching case) and also, to feel intimidated by grownups. So maybe we were just overly polite and too shy to just leave.

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