Published: November 3, 2018, 2:29pm | Modified: November 15, 2018, 9:12am
DWARF IXORA, IXORA NORA GRANT, IXORA MAUI
AMAZING COLORS, LOW MAINTENANCE
Ixora is a genus of flowering plants which come from the Rubiaceae family. It holds around 562 species and it is popular between gardeners because of its showy flower clusters. In the following lines, we are going to talk about one of the most loved type of Ixora – Dwarf Ixora.
It is very loved because of its star-shaped flowers, produced all year round. It is also known as Taiwanensis and its common names are “Flame of the woods” and “Jungle Flame”. These names help you create an image of the flower: it has very colored bloom that you will find in orange, red, pink and yellow.
Regarding taking care of it, its growing conditions are similar with the ones for Azalea. It prefers acid soils, with a range of pH between 5.0 and 6.0. It is recommended to take a soil test in order to know if you need to amend the soil with peat or compost.
If you want it in the garden, it can be used to border a path or a walkway. Otherwise, due to its size, you can grow it as a container plant for your patio or deck. It is very important to take into consideration a proper drainage to keep the flower healthy.
Contrary to its beauty, it requires low maintenance. If you care about its basic needs, it will be the star in your garden.
Let it be loved by the sun! If you keep a Dwarf Ixora in the shade, It gives you fewer blooms. Don’t forget that it is a tropical plant. When it gets the needed amount of sunlight, it rewards you with amazing flowers during the whole year.
As all the tropical flowers, it prefers moist soils. You should water it regularly, preventing soil from drying out. In the same, don’t exaggerate and don’t over water your Dwarf Ixora plant. Water it at the soil level and take care with the soggy soils because they can affect its roots.
Regarding the temperature, the low end of the scale is critical. It doesn’t tolerate well the cold, dropping its leaves. Pay attention to the high temperature as well because, as we mentioned before, it needs water. Some shade would be useful not to let the soil dry out. An option would be to mulch the plant.
Your Dwarf Ixora requires fertilizing procedures. An acidic fertilizer would be proper for its needs, in order to keep the value of ph. When shopping for acidic fertilizer, look for Azalea fertilizer. It can sometimes have magnesium deficiencies so you have to offer it the proper nutrients. Otherwise, the leaves turn into yellow. You should fertilize it in the spring, midsummer and autumn.
Pruning is not a must. It is up to you and according to the design of your garden because it is a small plant and it integrates well everywhere. If you want to prune it, you have to wait until the end of autumn when the flower show has ended to see if there are any damaged branches.
If you are searching for a small and colorful shrub with easy maintenance, Dwarf Ixora is a perfect option. Plant it in your garden for amazing blooms!