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Hairy Tube-tongue

Justicia pilosella

Other common name(s):

Gregg's Tube Tongue, False Honeysuckle

Family:

Acanthaceae (Acanthus Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southern Texas Plains, Texas Blackland Prairies
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau
Western Cross Timbers
Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Coastal Sand Plain, Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Laguna Madre Barrier Island and Coastal Marshes, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Southern Subhumid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Northern Nueces Alluvial Plains, Rio Grande Floodplain and Terraces, Semiarid Edwards Bajada, Texas-Tamaulipan Thornscrub
Southern Blackland Prairie

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Herbaceous

Height

0.5
to
1
ft.

Spread

.5
to
1
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Gravelly, Rocky, Moist, Dry

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White, Pink, Purple

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer, Fall

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Larval Host

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies

Maintenance

A great addition to shade or woodland gardens.

Comments

Blooms March-October. Flower can be pink, purple, or white. Usually grows in colonies. Larval Host: various Checkerspot butterflies.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Adhatoda dipteracantha, Monechma pilosella, Siphonoglossa dipteracantha, Siphonoglossa greggii, Siphonoglossa pilosella

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=832811#null, 3) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=63&locationType=County&mapType=Normal, 4) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUPI5

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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