Justicia aurea

Yellow Plume Flower, Yellow Jacobinia, Golden Plume, Golden Justicia, Golden False Acanthus

Message of the Flower

Aspiration of the Mind for the Supramental Guidance

The Mother’s Comment

The mind feels that its complexity is powerless and asks for a greater light to illuminate it.

Spiritual Message by the Mother/ Quotes by Sri Aurobindo

Mind is in its origin a principle of light, an instrument put forth from the Supermind and, though set to work within limits and even set to create limits, yet the limits are luminous borders for a special working, voluntary and purposive bounds, a surface of the finite ever extending itself under the eye of infinity. It is this character of Mind that will reveal itself under the touch of Supermind and make human mentality an adjunct and a minor instrumentation of the supramental knowledge.

Sri Aurobindo, Essays in Philosophy and Yoga: Supermind and Humanity

Colour

Yellow

Family

Acanthaceae

Person who named the flower

Christian Julius Wilhelm Schiede

Flower Size

About 4.5-5.5 cm long

Flower Texture

Slightly pubescent externally

Number of Petals

Not applicable (bilabiate tubular structure)

Floral Symmetry

Bilateral

Fragrance of Flower

Not reported

Leaf Texture

Glossy above, pale below with prominent veins

Leaf Arrangement

Opposite

Leaf Color

Dark green above, pale green below

Structural Variation (Shrub or Tree)

Shrub

Life Cycle

Perennial

Blooming Period

Almost continuous, particularly abundant in autumn-winter

Climate

Tropical and subtropical

Water Requirements

Prefers constant moisture without waterlogging

Soil Type

Rich in organic matter, well-draining, prefers acidic to neutral soil

Temperature Ranges

Can tolerate brief cold spells down to about -5 to -6C

Sun or Shade

Prefers partial shade; full sun can bleach flowers

Susceptibility to Insects and Diseases

Specific pests and diseases not documented

Pollinators

Attracts hummingbirds

Habitat

Humid forests from sea level to about 2000 meters

Role in the Ecosystem

Attracts pollinators, used as ornamental due to its colorful blooms

Quotations

Not specified

Ornamental

Widely used in gardens for its decorative flowers

Uses in Other Aspects of Life

Mainly ornamental and medicinal

Endangered Status

Not listed as endangered