Chinese Hatplant

Location

Butterfly Garden

  • Common Name: Chinese Hatplant
  • Scientific Name: Holmskodia sanguinea
  • Family Name: Lamiaceae
  • Origin: South Asia​
  • Height: 5 to 8 ft
  • Width: 5 to 8 ft
  • Growth: Fast
  • Zone: USDA Zones 10 through 11
  • Light needs: Full sun to part sun.
  • Salt tolerance: Low
  • Soil/pH/Texture: Prefers a well-drained soil of any texture with a circumneutral pH between 6.0 and 7.5.
  • Moisture: Water regularly until established, then only water during droughts.
  • Drought tolerance: Moderate
  • Pests/Diseases: Soil nematodes and other root diseases.
  • Growing conditions: This plant should be grown in a warm and sunny area. It is a relatively low-maintenance plant, as it needs little attention once it’s established. It is drought tolerant, but flowering and growth may be affected. Make sure to place it away from other plants and structures, as it grows quickly and gets fairly large. This plant may need to be trimmed occasionally to avoid legginess and uneven growth.
  • Characteristics: This plant grows to form a large shrub with diffuse foliage. It has multiple, clumped woody stems at the base, which are often exposed, as the many stems and foliage tend to only grow on the top half of the plant. Leaves are ovate with serrated margins and grow oppositely along the stem. Flowers grow in groups of 3 to 5 between pairs of leaves. These flowers have a unique shape, being completely circular at the base, like a hat or plate, with a smaller tubular inflorescence emerging from the center. These flowers are typically red, but some varieties have yellow or orange flowers. Fruits are small, round, and orange.
  • Propagation: By cuttings.
  • Wildlife: The flowers attract pollinator insects.
  • Facts: The genus name commemorates the Danish botanist Johan Theodor Holmskiold.
  • Designer considerations: It is commonly used as part of a shrub border. It is a good idea to plant smaller shrubs in front of it to cover the bare woody stems at the lower half of the plant.
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