Persian Shield is a tropical evergreen shrub prized for its iridescent foliage rather than its flowers. Native to Burma (Myanmar), it produces dark green ovate-lanceolate leaves flushed with silvery-purple iridescence on their upper surface and deep purple beneath, creating a shimmering effect that intensifies in partial shade. In frost-free climates it reaches 3-4 feet tall, but in cooler zones it typically grows 1-3 feet, making it flexible for gardens, containers, and indoor cultivation. Hardy in zones 10-11, this soft-stemmed shrub produces delicate spikes of violet flowers from June through November, though gardeners primarily grow it for the stunning foliage display.
1
Partial Sun
Moderate
10-11
36in H x 36in W
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High
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The iridescent purple foliage is where Persian Shield earns its common name, delivering a shimmering metallic quality that shifts in different light. Tiny violet flowers appear throughout warm months, adding texture without overwhelming the dramatic leaf show. It tolerates wet soil and thrives in rain gardens, making it useful in challenging damp spots. The foliage color deepens in partial shade rather than full sun, so finding the right light balance gives you control over intensity.
Persian Shield serves as ornamental annual bedding in temperate gardens, as a container plant for patios and balconies, and as a houseplant for indoor cultivation during colder months. Its tolerance for wet soil makes it particularly useful in rain gardens and water-management landscapes where other ornamentals struggle.
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Transplant after the last frost date into organically rich, medium-moisture, well-drained soil. Space plants 1 inch apart for dense plantings.
Pinch stem tips regularly to avoid legginess and stimulate bushier, more compact growth. This soft-stemmed tropical shrub responds well to gentle pinching, which also helps maintain a fuller, more ornamental form.
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“This variety originates from Burma, now Myanmar, where Strobilanthes dyerianus grows in tropical conditions. It traveled from its native habitat into Western horticulture as a specimen valued specifically for its ornamental foliage and iridescent qualities, eventually becoming established in nursery trade across temperate regions where it is cultivated as an annual or container plant.”