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Strobilanthes

Genus of flowering plants

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
8 min read
Source updated August 13, 2026
Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

Strobilanthes is a genus of about 350 species of flowering plants in the family Acanthaceae, mostly native to tropical Asia and Madagascar, but with a few species extending north into temperate regions of Asia. Many species are cultivated for their two-lipped, hooded flowers in shades of blue, pink, white and purple. Most are frost-tender and require protection in frost-prone areas. The genus is most famed for its many (but not all) species which bloom on long cycles of several years, such as Strobilanthes wightii which blooms every thirteen years.

01Species

Strobilanthes atropurpurea is a temperate species, native to eastern Siberia; it is cultivated for its purple flowers.

Strobilanthes dyeriana (Persian shield) is a tropical plant native to Myanmar. It is grown for its dark green foliage with bright, metallic-purple stripes radiating outward from the central leaf vein. In proper conditions, it will also produce pale purple flowers. Persian Shield grows best outdoors in USDA zones 9 and 10, although it can survive in other zones as a houseplant given sufficient temperature, soil moisture and humidity. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Plants of the World Online currently includes:

Strobilanthes cusia (Chinese rain bell)
Strobilanthes cusia (Chinese rain bell)
S. auriculata var. dyeriana (cultivated)
S. auriculata var. dyeriana (cultivated)

02Herbivory

Strobilanthes species are food plants for the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita malabaracus, which has been recorded on S. callosa.

Strobilanthes flexicaulis, endemic to Taiwan
Strobilanthes flexicaulis, endemic to Taiwan
Strobilanthes cernua (bubukuan) in Papandayan Mountain, West Java, Indonesia
Strobilanthes cernua (bubukuan) in Papandayan Mountain, West Java, Indonesia
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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Strobilanthes”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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