Crossandra is native to Sri Lanka and southern India, favoring tropical and humid conditions.
Crossandra grows best when placed in bright, indirect sunlight and planted in soil on the acidic side.
Crossandra Care
Here are the main care requirements for growing crossandra outdoors or indoors.
The Spruce / Krystal Slagle
Light
Crossandra thrives in bright,indirect sunlight.
Indoors, your plant will do well in a sunny north or east-facing window or with bright artificial light.
Come winter, make a run at provide as much light as possible indoors.
The Spruce / Krystal Slagle
Soil
A rich, peat-basedpotting soilthat contains perlite is ideal for crossandra.
Water
Crossandra is very susceptible to drought and likes slightly moist soilbut not soggyat all times.
Outdoors, water this plant moderately on alternating days during the growing season.
The Spruce / Krystal Slagle
Never allow the soil to completely dry out.
This plant thrives in temperatures of 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
If the temperature drops below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the plant may experience damage to its leaves.
Ranjit Rr / EyeEm / Getty Images
Crossandra likes high humidity.
Fertilizer
Outdoor crossandra can be fertilized with a granular nutrient once a month.
That said, horticulturalists have introduced some color variations of this species.
Do so before the plant starts its active growing season.
Deadheading crossandra throughout the summer also helps new blooms proliferate and keeps your plant looking tidy.
Propagating Crossandra
Crossandra readilyroots from cuttingstaken early in the growing season.
About 24 hours before repotting, give your crossandra plant a good drink of water.
Water it again and return it to the same growing spot.
Simply water the plant enough to maintain moist soil and wait for spring.
Come spring, cut off any dead growth and move your crossandra into a slightly biggercontainerwith fresh soil.
Provide plenty of indirect, bright light for the transplant to help it adjust.
Common Pests & Plant Diseases
Crossandra plants typically don’t succumb to pests or diseases.
Still, a stressed plant can become a good meal formealybugs,spider mites, andaphids.
Treat infestations as soon as possible to prevent them from spreading to the rest of your plants.
Look for fungal issues, such aspowdery mildewor gray mold (Botrytis).
Fungicides used early in the season will help.
Planting flowers in the full sun is also helpful.
As a houseplant, it can bloom just about all year under correct indoor conditions.
What Do Crossandra Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Common Problems With Crossandra
Crossandra is a rewarding, low-maintenance plant once the right conditions are met.
In the meantime, always look out for these issues that may crop up.
Foliage Wilting
Wilting foliage often indicates an inconsistency in watering the plant.
This could happen if you are trying to dry out overwatered soil and then it suddenly dries out.
Check the plant for root rot if you have wilting foliage.
Flowers Dropping
If your crossandra is suddenly dropping buds or flowers, it is likely overwatered.
Dark and Discolored Foliage
Crossandra is very finicky about water temperatures.
For color, add it to a bed that includes impatiens, coleus, and theshrimp plant.
Crossandra can come back every year as a perennial if you live in warm climates.
Crossandra rarely survives the winter outdoors in cold climates.
Crossandra bears seed pods that develop once the flowers dry and fall.
University of Florida Extension.
Crossandra infundibuliformis.University of North Carolina Extension.
