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Chuparosa
Justicia californica
  
About Chuparosa (Justicia californica) 27 Nurseries Carry This Plant Justicia californica is a species of flowering shrub native to the deserts of southern California, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Its common names include chuparosa, hummingbird bush, and beloperone. It is one of the northernmost distributed species of the mostly tropical genus Justicia. This is a low bush which grows in dry, hot regions in the sand or rocky terrain of the desert floor. For a short time it bears succulent leaves. It loses its leaves and then produces plentiful tubular flowers, usually in shades of bright to deep red, or sometimes yellow. Each long flower has a wide lower lip that falls open to reveal the inside of the blossom. Hummingbirds visit the bush to feed on the nectar; the common name chuparosa is Spanish for hummingbird. Other birds eat the sugar-rich flower centers. This plant is sometimes cultivated as a landscape ornamental in desert regions for its bright flowers and to attract birds.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
1.7 - 4 ft tall
4 ft wide

Form
Form
Mounding

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Summer Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Orange, Red, Yellow

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds, insects

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed , 2 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 25° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Desert Willow, California Fan Palm, Creosote Bush, Ocotillo, Jojoba, Blue Paloverde, White Bursage, Barrel Cactus, Brittlebush, Indigo Bush, Apricot Mallow, Opuntia spp, numerous annual wildflowers

Propagation
Propagation?
It will self-seed in a desert garden

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
12, 13*, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23*, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Gravelly, sandy washes, canyon bottoms and alluvial fans of the Colorado Desert

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.0" - 18.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.28" - 2.25", Coldest Month: 41.7" - 62.3", Hottest Month: 69.8" - 89.3", Humidity: 1.58" - 39.89", Elevation: -190" - 4806"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Beloperone, Hummingbird Bush


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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