Strobilanthes lanatus

The interesting fuzzy foliage of Pewter Bush has a golden hue when the leaves are young and then matures to silver. Sure to be a conversation piece, this easy to grow, small and shrub-like tropical makes a beautiful container specimen, add it to mixed container gardens, or even as a tender perennial in warm winter climates. Like its purple cousin, Persian Shield, it seems to prefer more shade than sun and even then it should be cool sunlight like filtered sun or early morning or late afternoon sun. As with its more commonly grown cousin the purple foliaged Persian Shield, Strobilanthes dyerianus, it may live for a few years and will often recover from a light to mild freeze if given protection and a proper mulch. Once it begins producing loose spikes of purple flowers either keep it cut back to prevent it from flowering or allow it to set seed and save them to replant because the plants in this genus generally die after flowering.