Orthosiphon aristatusCat's Whiskers

The flowers of Orthosiphon aristatus are the reason for the name: white or pale lilac, with stamens that stand 30 millimetres clear of the petals like a set of whiskers, carried in upright spikes above the foliage for most of the year in a warm climate.

It is a soft-wooded shrub of about a metre, fast to establish and easy to keep dense, used in mass bedding and mixed borders across tropical Asia, where it is also long-established as the herbal tea known as Java tea.

Specifications

• Height0.6 to 1.2 metres
• Width0.6 to 1 metre
• Native toSouth East Asia, southern China, northern Australia and the Pacific Islands
• FoliageOvate, coarsely toothed mid-green leaves on square stems; evergreen in warm climates
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate to regular; performs best with steady moisture
• ClimateThrives in tropical and humid subtropical regions

Additional Features

• FlowersUpright spikes of white or pale lilac flowers with long protruding stamens, carried through most of the year
• UsesMass bedding, mixed borders, park and hotel planting, containers and herb gardens
• SpacingPlant 0.5 to 0.6 metres apart for a continuous mass
• Low MaintenancePinch and cut back after each flush to keep plants dense and flowering
• Pest ResistanceGenerally straightforward; watch for whitefly in still humid air
• Wildlife AttractionFlowers are worked by bees and butterflies
• Cultural SignificanceLong used across South East Asia as the herbal infusion known as Java tea

Cat's Whiskers gives an unusual flower form and a very long season in a plant that is easy to mass and easy to renew.