Green Shrimp Plant

Green Shrimp Plant (Ruellia blechum syn. Blechum pyramidatum) is also known by the common names of Wild Hops and Browne’s Blechum and is native throughout Mexico to Northern South America but has spread in sections of Florida, Texas and the Pacific islands. This member of the Acanthus family has an original range that is somewhat uncertain as this plant is well established in many areas of the tropics. It was first vouchered in Florida in 1942, indicating it is unlikely to be native to the state.

Therefore, Green Shrimp Plant is listed as a Category II invasive species by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. Category II plants are defined as, "Invasive exotics that have increased in abundance or frequency but have not yet altered Florida plant communities to the extent shown by Category I species." Green Shrimp Plant spreads along the ground and will send out new roots from each joint along its stem. This makes it easy for this plan to take over an area very quickly. We don't recommend it for planting in a Tampa garden, as it serves little purpose for our local butterflies at this time.

Malachite eggs on Ruellia blechum in the MOSI Outside Flight Encounter exhibit.

Here at MOSI Outside, we grow Green Shrimp Plant as the host for the Malachite butterfly (Siproeta stelenes), which we raise and display in our Flight Encounter exhibit. Malachite butterflies are usually found only in the extreme south of Florida and Texas and generally don’t stray as far north as the Tampa Bay region. However, if the climate continues to shift as anticipated in the years ahead, Tampa may well become a frost-free zone where Malachites could thrive, especially if Green Shrimp Plant continues to grow unchecked throughout the area.