Carruthers' Falseface

Carruthers' Falseface Care

Pseuderanthemum Carruthersii

What is the plant

Green to purplish green foliage topped by small, star-like flowers of pink or white and magenta makes Carruther's falseface pretty whenever temperatures are warm. A tender evergreen shrub native to New Caledonia and Vanuata in western Polynesia, it has today become naturalized in many parts of the tropical Pacific and South America.The oval leaves have noticeable veins and often have gently wavy edges. They are yellow green (var. carruthersii), fully green in color (var. reticulatum) or the edges are rimmed in purple and undersides a more pronounced purple (var. atropurpreum). Year round in the tropics, short spiked clusters of pink to white flowers with magenta flecks appear at stem tips, attracting butterflies and hummingbirds alike. The flowers are like mini-trumpets with four petals and make a "false face" since they lack the fifth flower petal of similar-looking Pseuderanthemum and Eranthemum species that resembles a little face.

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Humidity

Normal

Lighting

Part Sun

Temperature

min 2°C

Hardiness zone

10a - 11

Difficulty

Medium

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Woody plants need watering less frequently than tender annuals or herbaceous plants. Most established trees, shrubs, and vines can go weeks without supplemental watering except in extremely hot or windy weather.
Pruning
Prune for size control and pedestrian safety, to remove dead or diseased plant parts, or to shape or train plants into hedges, topiary, espalier, or other interesting shapes. Broadleaf plants, both evergreen and deciduous, can be cut as hard as needed, even back to main trunks. New growth sprouts near the cut ends. Prune in the late winter or spring, depending on when the plants flower
Fertilizer
Most plants need a regular "diet" of all-purpose plant food, either specialty (labeled for your specific plant type) or a generic N-P-K (nitrogen - phosphorus - potassium).Fertilize early in the plant's growing cycle - spring for summer plants, fall for winter plants