Mussaenda frondosa (Schizomussaenda)

Botanical name: Mussaenda frondosa

Common name: Schizomussaenda

Family: Rubiaceae

Origin: Indo-China to Malaysia

Plant attracts butterflies, hummingbirds

This is a rounded evergreen tropical shrub or sub-shrub that will grow to 10ft tall in tropical areas, but more likely will reach 1-3ft tall in containers. Clusters (corymbs) of small, tubular flowers with five spreading lobes bloom in summer, however it is the large and colorful, ovate, leaf-like sepals (to 3" long) that provide the real ornamental display. Some individual flowers in each cluster will develop a single enlarged sepal. Elliptic to ovate, bright green leaves (to 6" long).