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Hanging garden
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`Hemgraphis colourata' is a popular garden plant grown in hanging pots and to cover bald patches on lawns.
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HEMGRAPHIS COLOURATA is a popular low growing horizontal plant with fleshy wine red stems that root at nodes. This plant from Java belongs to the Acanthaceae family.
The leaves are heart shaped, toothed and about 5 to 8 cm long — shiny, silvery above the red purple beneath. The vein areas of the leaves are notably sunken and conspicuous. Leaves are arranged along the stem in opposite pairs on the 1 cm long wine red stalks. Flowers are small and white, covered by large bracts. Fully-grown plants produce flowers but the plant is grown for its leaves than for its inconspicuous flowers.
Hemigraphis colourata, though appears to root at the nodes, is easily propagated through cuttings.
The plant grows well in loose sandy soil that is enriched with leaf mould. Good watering is essential. Watering with a hose can is advantageous, as it will clean the leaves of dust deposited on them.
The plant loves shade and spreads fast, thus is excellent for covering the ground under trees and bald patches on lawns in the shade. As the plant has the tendency of spilling over the edges of pots, it is also useful as a hanging pot plant.
Though the plant does not grow tall, it can also be grown in pots and employed as filler plant in shade gardens. Once the plant is established in pots, it should be carefully pruned to make it look neat.
CHITRA RADHAKRISHNAN
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