Persian Shield Care: What to Know

earn how to grow Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus) in your indoor garden and get this lovely plant to thrive. Persian Shield is pretty easy to grow if you keep the following tips in mind, including proper lighting, watering, fertilizing, humidity, and more.

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Video Transcript

Welcome to HealthyHousePlants.com, where we teach you all about gardening indoors. If you’d like to support my show and get help growing your house plants, check out my Patreon below.

Today, we have a plant care video for Persian Shield, botanically known as Strobilanthes dyerianus. Purple is one of my absolute favorite colors, so I tend to love house plants that are purple, and if the foliage is on the velvety side like it is with Persian Shield, even better! The pointy, serrated leaves of this plant are marked with purple that has a kind of metallic tinge to it, juxtaposed against the deep forest green also in the leaves. The plant gets the “Shield” part of its name from the fact that the leaves resemble little armor-like shields. The plant is not Persian, however, but instead from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

Persian Shield is often grown outdoors in temperate climates year-round and as an annual in colder climates outdoors. Like Coleus and other similar plants, Persian Shield makes a great house plant as well, and it adds a really nice interest to the indoors, especially since it’s a bit more of a less common house plant. The plant grows up to 4 feet tall outdoors, and if it’s happy, it can do the same indoors, but generally, you want to keep it a little bushier because it can get a little too rangy.

The following growing tips will help you keep your Persian Shield healthy and happy in your indoor garden.

Lighting: For best growth and to maintain vibrant coloring in the leaves, provide Persian Shield with bright, indirect light. Good areas of the home to find such light are in front of an unobstructed eastern window or 2 to 3 feet away from an unobstructed southern window. The plant also does well under full-spectrum lighting. Avoid putting the Persian Shield in hot direct sunlight, though, as the leaves will lose their color and look washed out.

Watering: Water Persian Shield when the top inch of soil has dried out, and the moisture meter inserted 1/3 of the way into the pot registers four, approaching three. Always water with warm water. Avoid overwatering the plant and allowing it to sit in drain dishes filled with water, as sitting with “wet feet” is going to cause problems for them, including root rot.

Fertilizing: Fertilize Persian Shield monthly from early spring through late summer with a half-strength solution of an organic fertilizer. Chemical fertilizers are way too harsh for this plant and many house plants, and I generally don’t recommend them. I will put links below for good fertilizers for this plant that are organic. Don’t fertilize in the fall and winter months when the plant slows down growth.

Humidity: Persian Shield requires fairly high humidity to remain healthy and vibrant. If the humidity is too low, the leaves will dry and drop off. The ideal range is 50 to 65%. Check with a hygrometer to see what the humidity level is in your home and surrounding your plants. If it is lower than that 50 to 65%, do what you can to raise the humidity level. This can be done with pebble trays, misting, using a humidifier, and one of my favorites, which is grouping plants because plants will humidify each other. The more plants you have, the more humid the air surrounding your plants will be, so that is something really cool to keep in mind. It’s a really good reason to go out and get more house plants! I also have a playlist on how to increase humidity, which I will link below, as well as any other videos I mention in this video. When misting this plant, be sure to use filtered water or reverse osmosis water, as tap water generally has chlorine, and the chlorine, when sprayed on the leaves, can cause spotting, which you don’t want.

Temperature: Persian Shield does not respond well to cold temperatures. If it gets too cold, it will drop leaves and look very unhappy. Try to keep the plant in the 65 to 85°F range. Keep the plants away from cold drafts as it won’t be happy with that either.

Repotting: Persian Shield should be repotted when it has surpassed my rule of thumb of 2/3 plant on top to 1/3 pot below, so the combination of 2/3 plant to 1/3 pot. This plant can also withstand being root-bound, so you can even go to 3/4 plant and 1/4 pot on the bottom if, say, it’s not a good time of year to repot. The plant will be okay until it is a good time of year to repot. You want to repot from late winter through midsummer with this plant. Use a high-quality organic potting soil that is rich yet well-draining. I will put a link below for the potting soil I like for this plant, as well as a link on how to make your own organic potting soil.

Pruning: In its native Burma, Persian Shield will get rangy, reaching as tall as 4 feet. It will also tend to grow quickly indoors during the warm months of the year. When you see it beginning a growth spurt and if you want it to remain bushy, pinch back to a new set of leaves. Also, like Coleus, the plant is fairly short-lived. Most plants will live four to five years before becoming super rangy and just not looking as good anymore. At that point, it’s a good idea to propagate your Persian Shield to make new plants.

Pests and Diseases: Persian Shield can occasionally experience mealybugs and spider mites. Treat mealybugs with isopropyl alcohol and then also treat with neem oil to kill off the eggs that have been left behind, as well as to sterilize any adults that are left behind. Neem oil will do that. Spider mites like dry conditions—they thrive in dry conditions. You will find webbing on the leaves, and if you look closely or shake the plant onto white paper, you will see all these little mites running around. If you have them, generally increasing humidity will get rid of them. To be honest, if you have spider mites on this plant, it’s way too dry, and it’s probably struggling because of the dryness, and it may have even gotten the spider mites because it was too dry, so you need to increase humidity right away, as was covered in the humidity section.

So there you go for keeping this beauty healthy and happy in your indoor garden. It’s a really fun, beautiful plant to add to your collection.

Thank you for stopping by today! Please leave any comments about any indoor gardening tutorials you’d like to see. Remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share this video, and please check the bell if you’d like to be notified when new videos are released.

FAQ's Persian Shield 101

FAQ: Caring for Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus)

What is Persian Shield?

Persian Shield, botanically known as Strobilanthes dyerianus, is a striking plant with velvety, pointy, serrated leaves marked with purple and metallic tinge, juxtaposed against deep forest green. Despite its name, the plant originates from Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.

Can Persian Shield be grown indoors?

Yes, Persian Shield makes an excellent house plant and adds a unique interest to indoor gardening. It can grow up to 4 feet tall indoors, though it’s generally recommended to keep it bushier to avoid it getting too rangy.

What lighting conditions are best for Persian Shield?

For best growth and vibrant coloring, provide Persian Shield with bright, indirect light. Ideal spots include in front of an unobstructed eastern window or 2 to 3 feet away from an unobstructed southern window. Avoid hot direct sunlight as it can cause the leaves to lose color.

How often should I water Persian Shield?

Water Persian Shield when the top inch of soil has dried out. Use warm water, and avoid overwatering. Ensure the plant is not sitting in water-filled drain dishes to prevent root rot.

What type of fertilizer should I use for Persian Shield?

Fertilize Persian Shield monthly from early spring through late summer using a half-strength solution of organic fertilizer. Avoid chemical fertilizers as they can be too harsh. Do not fertilize during the fall and winter months when growth slows.

What humidity level does Persian Shield require?

Persian Shield thrives in high humidity, ideally between 50% to 65%. If the humidity is too low, the leaves may dry and drop off. Increase humidity with pebble trays, misting, using a humidifier, or grouping plants together.

What temperature is ideal for Persian Shield?

Persian Shield prefers temperatures between 65°F to 85°F. Keep the plant away from cold drafts as it does not respond well to cold temperatures.

When should I repot Persian Shield?

Repot Persian Shield when the plant surpasses the 2/3 plant to 1/3 pot ratio. This can be done from late winter through midsummer using a rich yet well-draining organic potting soil.

How do I prune Persian Shield?

Prune Persian Shield by pinching back to a new set of leaves during growth spurts to keep it bushy. The plant is fairly short-lived, typically lasting 4 to 5 years before becoming too rangy.

What pests and diseases affect Persian Shield?

Persian Shield can experience mealybugs and spider mites. Treat mealybugs with isopropyl alcohol and neem oil. Spider mites thrive in dry conditions, so increasing humidity usually helps to eliminate them.