Acanthaceae FAMILY
Barleria cristata
Barleria cristata
Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—
Requires at least a moderate amount of sun if it is to flower freely[1]. Prefers a position in full sun or partial shade and a fertile, moist but well-drained soil[2] The plant is widely cultivated as an ornamental in the tropics and sometimes escapes from cultivation. It has been recorded as becoming invasive in some areas[3]. The plant needs to be trimmed occasionally in order to promote bushy growth[1]. It responds very well to trimming and can be used in topiary[1].
Propagation
Seed - Easily propagated from cuttings planted directly in the ground[1].. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Barleria+cristata>
Pollinators
Data unavailable
References
- [1]Flowers of India — http://www.flowersofindia.net/ ↩︎A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
- [2]Encyclopedia of Tropical Plants - Identification and Cultivation of over 3,000 Tropical Plants — Ahmed Fayaz · Firefly Books Ltd.; New Zealand · 2011 · ISBN 978-1-55407-489 ↩︎A good photograph and terse but detailed information for over 3,000 species of tropical plants. An excellent reference.
- [3]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
- [4]Plant Resources of Southeast Asia — http://proseanet.org/ ↩︎Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia.
- [5]Philippine Medicinal Plants — http://www.stuartxchange.org/CompleteList.html ↩︎A lovely site, giving brief details on the medicinal uses of several hundred (over 400 at the last count) plants in the Philippines, plus a picture of each plant.