Ranging in height from 50cm to 4.5 metres, Ixora’s are very versatile in the garden. Most commonly they are used in hedging or as feature specimens. As a massed planting they provide such a spectacle that when you enter a garden with a large display you can feel the glow from the flowers. In hedging they have the benefit of growing foliage right down to the ground – providing there is adequate light.
Most Ixora’s maintain a good natural shape. Occasional pruning to maintain height or shape can be of benefit in some situations though over pruning will reduce the quantity of flowers. New growth in many cases has a beautiful golden orange colour.

Plant your Ixora in moist, humus-rich and well drained soil. They require reasonable amounts of water during the warmer months although they can handle brief, dry periods when the temperature drops. If their water supply is inadequate the leaves will yellow and look washed out. This leaf colour may also be due to a nutrient deficiency. Ixora’s are heavy feeders and in particular they suffer from lack of available iron. Firstly ensure that your soil is acidic, so as to enable the uptake or iron. If the problem persists, then boost the iron levels in the soil with some iron chelate.

Ixora’s prefer substantial sun in order to remain compact and if you can provide them with protection from the afternoon summer sun and adequate mulch, they should thrive with minimum additional watering. Ixora’s do not tolerate frosts.

Propagation is easy during the summer. Be sure to take semi-hardwood cuttings as anything too green will just rot. Seeds collected in spring can be germinated fairly readily but the resultant flower colour may not be true to its parent plant.

Popular varieties are ‘Pink Malay’ which is more sun tolerant, ‘Prince of Orange’ a dense shrub to 2m high which flowers for 8-9 months or ‘Sunkist’ which provides a great little border hedge to a height of 60cm. The latter is also a nice addition to rockery style gardens. One of my favourites is the I. Williamsii. With a more open habit than some of its siblings, I have found it to be a great background plant in larger garden beds. Its plump deep pink flower heads provide a wonderful splash of colour in the garden.