How to Grow and Care for Ixora

Ixora spp. is a genus of small tropical flowering shrubs with large clusters of four-petaled flowers. Ixora grows best in tropical conditions outdoors and in somewhat humid spaces indoors. Ixora requires full sun, and moist, acidic soil, and thrives in temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Ixora Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing an ixora shrub.

• Keep ixora consistently moist but not soggy.
• Give ixora 8 to 10 hours of sunlight a day.
• Plant in organic, peat-based soil.
• Indoors, place ixora in a normally humid room (bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room).
  

Light

Ixora plants like bright light, so put them somewhere in your home where they can get at least eight to 10 hours of sunlight a day. A word of warning: Keep them away from harsh direct rays in the summer, which can dry out and burn the leaves if you're not careful.

Soil

For the most healthy ixora plant possible, plant it in a soil mixture that is rich in organic matter and peat-based. Additionally, ixora plants prefer soil that has a slightly acidic pH level, ranging between 5.5 to 6.5. Soil mixtures that have a pH level above 7.0 can cause the plant to have dull foliage color.

Water

True to their tropical nature, ixora plants appreciate consistent moisture. Water them often—the specific amount will depend on the specific environment in your home. A good rule of thumb is that the soil should never be allowed to dry out, though you can decrease your watering cadence a bit in the winter.

Temperature and Humidity

A warm, moist environment is key for a thriving ixora plant. Temperatures should be kept above 60 degrees Fahrenheit at all times (even in winter); avoid placing your plant anywhere in your home that has a cold draft, like by a nearby window or air conditioner.

Additionally, ixora plants love humidity. Keep your plant in a traditionally humid room of your home, like your kitchen or bathroom. Spritz the plant daily with water to increase humidity, or invest in a small space humidifier to put near your ixora plant and any other tropicals you may have.

Fertilizer

Feed your ixora plant in the spring with slow-release fertilizer pellets, or weekly during its growing season with a liquid fertilizer. Proper nutrition will help boost the chances of your plant flowering.

Types of Ixora

There are over 500 species in the ixora genus and the various cultivars come in a large range of colors and sizes. Here are just a few of the most popular cultivars.

• ‘Maui’: This dwarf ixora grows about 3 feet tall and produces orange flowers. It's considered more cold-tolerant than other types.
• ‘Angela Busman’: This type produces rose-colored blooms.
• ‘Nora Grant’: This popular ixora hybrid blooms hot pinkish pom-pom flowers.
• ‘Super King’: This older cultivar has large clusters of deep red pom-pom flowers.
• ‘Sunset’: This pretty shrub produces yellow flowers that have an orange-red tinge.
• ‘Singapore Yellow’ and ‘Frances Perry’: These two cultivars bloom yellow flowers but the regular 'Singapore' boasts scarlet red flowers.
• ‘Herrera’s White’: This is one of the only ixora cultivars that produce white flowers.
• ‘Bicolor': This multicolored ixora has orange-red flowers dotted with a starburst yellow center.
• ‘Pink Pixie’: This dwarf has deep pink blooms and grows only 2 feet tall.

Pruning

Ixora plants tolerate pruning well and can be trimmed by several inches—you can cut each shoot down to only one bud. Flowers bloom on new growth, so pruning is a great way to increase the blooms on your plant.

Propagating Ixora

To propagate your ixora plant, take cuttings in the spring. Rooting ixora is difficult, and you might need rooting hormone and bottom heat for success. Take these steps.

1. Take a 4- to 6-inch piece of a branch and dip the ends in rooting hormone.
2. Plant the cuttings in a well-drained potting medium and place in moderate light.
3. Water lightly until roots form in four to six weeks.

How to Grow Ixora From Seed

Occasionally, the flowers produce dark purple berries with seeds that are sometimes viable. If you spot any of these, harvest them and take these steps.

1. Clean the pulp off the seed, then soak it overnight.
2. Fill a 2-inch pot with seed starter mix and plant the seed. Water it well and loosely fasten a clear plastic bag over the pot.
3. Place the plant in a warm area with moderate light.
4. Move the pot into bright light and remove the bag as soon as the seed germinates.

Potting and Repotting Ixora

Dwarf ixora is best for potting but almost any of the plant types will do well in pots. Ixora, in general, does not like to be root-bound. To pot up ixora, use a 6- to 12-inch clay pot with plenty of drainage holes at the bottom. Plant ixora in quality potting soil with equal amounts of perlite and peat moss mixed in for drainage. Ixora can also be trained as a bonsai. Do not place an ixora houseplant near any drafts or areas where there are temperature swings.

Overwintering

If temperatures dip into the upper 20-degree Fahrenheit mark, cover outdoor plants with a sheet. Otherwise, the cold can be fatal to the shrub. If the plant survives, cut off all the dead branches once spring approaches.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Ixora plants primarily need protection from aphids, mealybugs, and scale. If you spot signs of these issues, apply an insecticidal soap spray or neem oil to control the pests. The appearance of sooty mold, which is a black powdery fungus that grows on the excrement of the bugs, indicates an infestation. To protect the plant, give ixora good airflow to avoid black sooty mold, which dulls its shiny leaves, and eventually affects the plant's growth.

How to Get Ixora to Bloom

Bloom Months

Ixora plants flower throughout the year, lasting up to two months at a time.

What Do Ixora's Flowers Look and Smell Like

Ixora plants feature large clusters of bright red, yellow, pink, white, or orange flowers that emerge like puffballs from the evergreen leaves continuously throughout the year. The flowers have a deeply sweet fragrance.

How to Encourage More Blooms

To encourage more blooms, give your ixora plant full sunlight for over six hours a day. Poor sunlight will reduce blooming. Indoors, ixora is ideally a greenhouse or conservatory plant, where its flowers will bloom abundantly. Still, if you maintain the conditions it needs indoors, you have a good chance of having a happy ixora houseplant with at least a few flowers.

Deadheading Ixora Flowers

Prune your ixora plant after it blooms, and whenever the plant looks untidy.

Common Problems With Ixora

Ixora is usually easier to grow outdoors in the right environment than indoors, where the plant can be very temperamental. Here are a couple of other signs of trouble to keep an eye on.

Leaves Dropping

Ixora houseplants need to find the right spot where they'll thrive. Even slight exposure to a cold draft or switching up the plant's location in your home can cause it to drop leaves.

Dark Spots on Leaves

If you notice your plant's leaves developing dark spots, it may mean the plant is sitting in alkaline soil and/or missing two primary micronutrients, iron and manganese. This is a common problem with acid-loving plants—treat the dark spots with a chelated micronutrient foliar spray applied directly to the leaves. Young leaves are better able to absorb the spray than old leaves, so they are more responsive to the treatment.