The Persian shield is a magnificent foliage shrub that appears to be a relatively new introduction to the landscapes of Singapore. Still not widely planted, this plant is only available for sale in a few nurseries in Singapore and remains a plant collector’s item . I remember having seen this plant featured on some houseplant books published overseas eons ago.
A native of Myanmar, the Persian shield is an evergreen plant with non-woody stems that can grow up to 1.2 m tall with a slightly smaller spread. Its stems are square in cross-section which are characteristic of plants belonging to the Acanthaceae family. The leaves of the Persian shield are oval in shape with a sharp tip and occur on opposite sides of a stem. They have an interesting texture and admired mostly for their beautiful variegation.
Depending on the prevailing light conditions, its leaves usually have two broad, silvery-metallic purplish-pink bands that run along the length on opposites of the mid-rib, which shimmer with iridescence. The undersides of the leaves are purple in colour. Although I have not seen it in flower, the blossoms of the Persian shield are said to be funnel-shaped, pale violet that are produced on short, erect spikes.
Persian shield is one of the few foliage shrubs that do well under semi-shade. It can be grown as a colony as a focal plant or as a border plant around a planted bed. With such light requirements, I foresee that the Persian shield can also be grown in an apartment where one can place it at a bright location such as a balcony or corridor where it can receive filtered sunshine for at least half a day.
Because it is a semi-herbaceous plant, the Persian shield, in general, is not drought-tolerant and should be watered to keep the soil moist at all times. It should not be allowed to dry out. Feed with a balanced fertiliser and prune back the plant periodically to ensure a compact and bushy growth habit. Plants can becoming unkempt-looking and straggly if allowed to grow unchecked. It is easily propagated via stem-cuttings.
Botanically known as Strobilanthes dyerianus, it is a member of the Acanthaceae family. The genus name of this plant, Strobilanthes, is derived from two Latin words, ‘strobilos’ and ‘anthos’, which have the meanings of ‘cone’ and ‘flower’ or ‘shoot’, respectively. Its specific epithet dyerianus is given in honour of Sir William Turner Thieselton-Dyer, a professor of botany at the Royal Colleage of Science and director of the Kew Gardens.
