How to Care for Ixora Plants

Plants & Flowers
Ixora Plant Care

Ixora is a gorgeous plant that many people choose to grow in their gardens. Ixora is famous for its amazing star-shaped flowers that bloom throughout the whole year. This is a very attractive plant that can truly make a difference and add some color to your home.

Basic Ixora Plant Information

Ixora is an evergreen shrub with glossy-green, opposite leaves. It works great as a hedge so it is easy to cut it back severely without damaging the plant. Ixoras can also be easily shaped, which is a great advantage for those who want to have a nice hedge in their garden.

Ixora plants are shrubs that can be grown in almost any garden or even on a patio. They are popular for low hedges but many people also manage to grow them in containers. However, most Ixora plants are used as hedges and miniature shrubs and are popular because of their bright flowers.

In the beginning, Ixora plants were generally used as formal hedges, particularly in southern Florida. Depending on the variety, however, these gorgeous plants can also form miniature hedges and they can even be grown in indoor gardens. Indoor gardening is a great choice for those who want to have Ixora plants but live in northern areas.

Ixora Flowers

Ixora plants are famous for their gorgeous blooms. The flowers are star-shaped and they bloom throughout the whole year, which makes for a great decorative element in any home and garden. This is also the main reason why Ixora plants are so popular with gardeners.

The Ixora plant has clusters of beautiful flowers that come in many vivid colors, from red and yellow to orange and pink. The colors are very rich and attractive so these flowers add some special atmosphere to any garden.

These clusters of flowers are randomly scattered throughout the whole plant. They tend to occur at the tip of the upright stems of the plant but other locations are also possible. This creates a very interesting effect since flowers can be found in many formations and locations on the plant.

The blooms of Ixora plants are very showy: they have long, slender-tubed corollas. These have four or, occasionally, five, wide-spread lobes. These are borne in full heads.

Generally speaking, well-established Ixora plants will produce three flower crops per year. However, since individual flowers are so long-lasting with a short resting period, it seem like the plant is flowering throughout the year. This is why it seems that Ixora plants are flowering almost all the time. Another good thing is that they tend to start flowering when they are small so you typically don't have to wait much for them to start producing gorgeous flowers.

Growing Ixora Indoors

While most people use Ixora plants as hedges or garden shrubs, it is also possible to grow them indoors. This is a very good idea for those who live in colder climates. It is possible to grow your Ixora plant in a contained, but there are a few things to keep in mind.

The most important thing about growing Ixora in a container is that you need a pot that is large enough for your plant. You should never allow your Ixora to become root-bound in a container that is smaller than the ultimate size you want it in.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you should pot large Ixora plants only in coarse, turfy material and in a large enough container.

Caring for Your Ixora Plant

If you want to grow Ixora plants, make sure to provide them with good watering and regular supply of liquid fertilizer. This will make them actively growing.

They also need sun, but not full sun. They can also grow in partial shade but make sure not to grow them in full shade.

Ixora plants don't tend to be picky about temperatures. However, it is best to keep them on 65 degrees F to 70 degrees F to make them thrive.

Ixora plants tend to be very resistant to pests such as thrips, scale and white flies. However, there is always a risk that these insects can appear so make sure to monitor your plant closely and get rid of any pests as soon as they appear.

Ixora Varieties

There are several popular varieties of Ixora plants you can choose:

The most common Ixora variety has scarlet flowers. However, other colors of flowers are also possible (red, pink, orange and white) but you will typically need another variety. When unsure, ask in the garden center or a nursery about the colors of the flowers a plant produces. This is the easiest way to choose a variety based on the colors of the flowers.

Dwarf Ixora plants are popular as low hedges. They have a characteristic shrub form and very compact appearance. They are particularly attractive when they bloom. However, keep in mind that it typically takes some time for Dwarf Ixora to bloom again.

Photo credit: Ray in Manila

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