About Pachystachys coccinea (Aubl.) Nees
Pachystachys coccinea, commonly called Cardinals guard, is a perennial evergreen shrub native to French Guiana, Brazil, and Peru. This plant has dark leaves that range in shape from ovate to elliptic, and produces red flowers arranged on terminal spikes. Mature wild individuals grow two to six feet tall, while cultivated specimens are generally shorter. The genus name Pachystachys comes from Greek words meaning thick spike, a reference to the plant’s characteristic flowering spikes. The species epithet coccinea is derived from Latin, where it means scarlet, referring to the plant’s deep red flowers.
