Pewter plant

Native to southern India. Also commonly called silver Persian shield plant. This specimen seen within a suburban, communal garden area.

Strobilanthes gossypinus is a small to medium size evergreen shrub. The leaves are opposed and the foliage is a very pretty silvery, grey-blue colour with a felty/furry texture. I learned that this plant is a 'semelparous mast-seeding' species. Meaning that the entire species flowers simultaneously then dies. It is thought that mast-seeding is an effective defense because the seed predators become satiated before all the seeds have been consumed. Strobilanthes gossypinus flowers are mauve which would be spectacular against this foliage and tubular in form, rather like Lobelia. They are produced on elongated panicles above the foliage in great profusion in the plant's final year.

This specimen was around 1.5 m in height x 1.8 m in width. Mature leaves around 15 cm in length.